And The Towers Fell Down
by Thomas Mc
Summary: Vincent and Catherine's community and friends are all tested and tempered by the terrorist attack of September 11. ** 1/7/12 - Chapter 12 has been added to the story to better round it out.
1. The Attack

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

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**_Author's notes:_**_ This story contains references to the following other stories – Naomi , Encounter , A New Life , Joe's Tale , A Mother's Diary . This story could also be considered part of the 'Five of Hearts' series as well as part of the 'New Millennium' series. _

_**Warning:** - ( This story also contains a some graphic references to the events around the 9/11 terrorist attacks.) -_

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**Chapter 1 : The Attack**

Elliot was in a business meeting with potential investors working on his newest project. It was to be an expansion of his rent controlled housing for the retired elderly. The investors were discussing the financial details as he sat and watched them. He knew they would go for it. It was just too good a deal for them to pass up. It had the double bonus of looking good, public relations wise, on their corporate resumes and it was profitable.

As he sat there his mind wandered back nearly thirteen years to the time that his grand schemes kept being torpedoed by his would-be love interest of that period, Catherine Chandler, wealthy beautiful socialite and New York City Assistant District Attorney. A few years after he realized that she would never be his, he had renovated the area under discussion and turned it into his first retirement housing project. Those living there at the time got first pick of the new apartments. With the help of government rent control price supports, smartly elegant building design, corporate sponsorships and sharp financing he had made out pretty good. Even when being altruistic he managed to make a profit. In fact in recent years he found that he really got a kick out of making a profit while being one of the good guys, a by product of Cathy's influence. A year later he had added a nice small shopping center and a small business park in the same area. There was also a Wells-Chandler Foundation neighborhood aid center located in the middle of the development. The year after that he had finally built his Burch Tower. This version was significantly smaller than the original design. He wanted to be sure that the building's foundation didn't affect Vincent's tunnel community. He had even built Catherine's new Wells-Chandler Foundation Corporate Center around the same time. Now he was about to expand the housing into another adjacent block.

As Elliot gazed out through the Burch Tower board room window, he was startled to see an airliner pass overhead flying way too low. Everyone in the room watched in horror as, five seconds later, the large airplane plowed into the World Trade Center North Tower.

Elliot shook off the momentary shock and called his marketing branch offices on the 80th floor of the South Tower. He ordered everyone in the office to evacuate immediately and reassemble in the corporate offices in the Burch Tower as soon as possible. Then he had the board room monitor turned on and set to the satellite news station. By now all thought of business deals was forgotten as they watched the early incoherent and contradictory news reports of the disaster.

About twelve minutes after he had given the order to evacuate, Elliot's cell phone rang. It was the WTC branch office manager. "Everyone's out Mr. Burch. I'm locking up the office now."

"Very good Jerry. Get over here as soon as you can." Elliot hung up. He had no sooner set his phone down on the conference table than a second plane came in from the left and hit the South Tower. '_That was no accident_,' he thought. Then he heard one of the others mumbling, "My God, we're under attack." After a couple of seconds Elliot became aware that several of the people in the room could be heard cursing a blue streak. Then he realized that he was one of them as he blinked back his own tears.

~ o ~

Catherine and Joe were up to their armpits in the O'Leary case. What had started out as a simple child abuse case had snowballed into a massive illegal alien smuggling case. As they were discussing the fine points of a particular search warrant's admissibility, Deanna rushed excitedly into the office. "They just bombed the World Trade Center and it's burning." She announced.

"What?" Joe looked up startled. "What are you talking about?"

"It's all over the news." Deanna replied.

Joe reached into his desk, pulled out a portable radio and turned it on. ". . . indicate that, five minutes ago, the World Trade Center was hit by a low flying airplane and the upper third of the North Tower is now on fire. We are still awaiting confirmation on what happened. To repeat, the latest reports . . ." Joe turned the radio off then he and Catherine headed for the conference room where several people were already watching the news coverage on the video monitor. Joe pulled out his cell-phone and called Sammy. "Sammy where are you?" He asked.

"I'm in the lobby heading for the door." She replied glancing around. "I thought I'd head over to your office."

Having heard Joe's question, Catherine spoke up. "Tell Sammy to get out of there, fast, and head for my place. I'll call and tell Naomi to be expecting company."

Joe responded to Sammy. "Cathy says to head for her place. It's central to all our friends and I want you as far from those towers as possible, as soon as possible."

"OK, Joe I'll get there as soon as I can." Sammy walked through the doors and glanced up at the sound of a jet overhead.

"Be careful. I love you." Joe responded.

"Oh my God!" Sammy exclaimed. At the same time several in the conference room emitted similar exclamations as they watched a second airplane smash into the South Tower. A half second later Joe heard Sammy shriek inarticulately then his phone went dead.

"**Sammy**!" Joe cried out, in extreme anguish, into his dead phone. Everyone in the office turned to look at Joe in horror and sympathy. They all knew that his wife worked in the South Tower.

Catherine wrapped her arms around him in sympathy trying to give some small measure of comfort. "Oh, Joe, I'm so sorry." After a moment she let go, suddenly all urgent business as she spoke in a low voice to him. "Joe I need to get Below and warn them about what's happening. I'll also tell them to put the word out to keep an eye out for Sammy."

"Yea." Joe responded numbly. "You should do that. I, I'll be OK here." Catherine headed for the elevators and Joe faced the rest of the staff, fighting to keep the tears back as he announced. "This office is closed for business as of now. Those that have somewhere they need to go may leave."

Joe plopped down into the nearest chair, like a puppet whose strings had just been cut, and stared numbly at the bleak image on TV as about half of the staff left. Over the next half hour the rest of the staff trickled out. None of them could bear to look at the misery in his face for long.

They had just announced an explosion in the Pentagon when Joe looked up as a hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Is there anything I can do for you Joe?" She was the only other person left in the conference room.

Joe shook his head. "You may as well go home, Deanna."

"No." she disagreed. "I have no family near by and no particular place I need to go." She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I just called my parents in Idaho to let them know I'm OK. I'll stay here and man the office, just in case." She squeezed his upper arm. "You however do have someplace to go. You should get yourself over to Cathy's place." She gently guided him towards the elevators then returned to the conference room to watch the coverage.

~ o ~

Diana was in the Bronx, looking into a possible gang connection to several recent robberies. Something made her look up and she noticed the great plumes of smoke rising from the south. She radioed dispatch about it and was told the news. Then the second plane hit and the dispatcher was momentarily too shocked to respond.

After a few seconds the dispatcher relayed the news of the new disaster. After a few very colorful expletives, Diana broke contact and called Catherine who was at that moment waiting for the elevator. "I just heard. Is Sammy OK?"

"We don't know." Catherine replied. "Joe lost contact when the second plane hit. We're setting up my brownstone as a central meeting place for any of our friends if they need it or if things get bad. I'm heading Below to warn them and prepare for the emergency." The elevator doors opened. "I have to go." They both hung up as Catherine stepped into the elevator. As soon as Catherine exited on the ground floor, she called home and told Naomi to stay indoors and take care of any friends that might show up. Catherine raced across the street into the building that had tunnel access.

Diana called her husband. "Dennis, I just talked to Cathy and we are all meeting at Vincent and Cathy's place. Tell Jenny and spread the word to anyone else that needs to know. I'll meet you there. I love you." She hung up then headed for her car. Soon she was making her way south through a traffic nightmare towards Central Park.

~ o ~

Vincent was working on a leaking water pipe located north of the park when he sensed his wife's _agitation_. Something was very wrong. Though she wasn't in pain or feeling threatened, she was definitely _very upset_ about something. He would finish this as quickly as possible and head back to the main tunnels. That's when he felt the stab of _extreme shock_ and _horror_ from Catherine. Dropping his tools he set out at a dead run for her location.

Vincent had passed the home tunnels and was very close to Catherine's location as he continued to sense her _fear_ and _anxiety_, now under tight control. Then a message passed along the pipes from Catherine. "**Emergency! ... Two ... Tower ... Attacked ... Pull everyone out ... if ... South of ... Central Park ... Assemble the council ... Emergency meeting.**" The message was relayed and repeated on all the major pipes. Vincent changed direction and headed for Father's library chamber. Catherine would be heading there and he would be needed to help Father get the council organized and calm.

~ o ~

Young Jacob was making his way along the southern tunnels. The subway passing overhead made a much deeper rumble than normal, and it was causing a lot of dust to fall. This could be a serious problem. He would have to tell his father about it when he saw him at lunch. Jacob continued on toward his little hideaway; every ten year old had the equivalent of a tree house somewhere. Jacob's version just happened to be located underground in an unused part of the tunnels. It was currently running low on supplies and he was bringing in replacements. The tunnel he was now in had originally been created to aid in the construction of the World Trade Center Tower's foundation and had, in the years since then, been mostly forgotten. His little hideaway was a small dead-end alcove on the west side of the north tower. He had almost reached the walls of the North Tower foundation when he heard a very deep rumbling sound unlike anything he had heard before and it was rapidly getting louder. The floor was shaking and dust was falling from the ceiling.

**CAVE-IN ****!**

Without thinking he bolted for the foundation wall directly in front of him. No normal person, with the exception of his father, could have moved that fast. The roar became deafening as the concrete wall suddenly tilted crazily towards him. A flash of pain shot down the back of his shoulder as it was yanked downward with enough force to put him on his knees. Almost immediately after that his head exploded in pain and his consciousness was swallowed by darkness.

~ o ~

In the council meeting, Catherine had just finished reporting on the situation when Vincent felt faint but very distinct vibration through the ground and wondered what could have caused it. No subway was passing at that moment and the feel of it was all wrong. He dragged his attention back to the discussions of how to handle the crisis continued. A few minutes later the pipes announced that one of the towers had collapsed. For a while the members of the council stared at each other in shocked silence.

The council recovered from their shock and was discussing the possibility of more attacks and how they could help as well as getting reports from Above. Suddenly, from his son, Vincent felt a flash of _fear_ - then _pain_ - then nothing. At that moment Vincent felt the same faint tremors in the ground under his feet that he had felt earlier. _Fear_ and a hint of _panic_ rose in him as he tested his link with Jacob, he was alive but unconscious. He was also located south and very slightly west from Vincent's location, somewhere near the two towers. "Jacob!" Vincent barely voiced in his alarm, his chest constricted in fear as he bolted out of the library chamber.

Father gasped. "No! Not Jacob!" At the same time, with a half sobbed, "No!" Catherine seemed to collapse into herself as she fell back into her chair. Two seconds later Jacob's twin sister, Jennifer, ran into the library. "Jake's hurt." She cried out and flung herself into her mother's arms with a sob.

~ o ~

Chris looked around in dismay at all the cars. This was the wrong floor. It had taken a long time to work their way down all those long smoky stairs from the eighty-fifth floor while keeping the small group from his office together and now it seemed that they had gone down too far. It must have been that rumbling they had all heard, distracting them at the wrong moment. He looked at his two children. All the way down the stairs, he kept asking himself why he had chosen today of all days to show them where he worked. He looked at the other people that were with him. They were all tired dirty and scared. Of the fourteen people that had left his office together, only ten, including himself, had managed to stay with his group. He hoped the other four had made it to safety. There were also three people in the group that he didn't recognize. That made a total of fifteen counting his two children.

"Damn, we've got to go back up." He yanked open the stairway door and was hit by a blast of smoky hot air heavy with the smell of burning jet fuel. Through the smoke he could see a thin stream of fire working its way down the stairs. He slammed the door shut. "Blocked!" He announced.

Suddenly feeling trapped, Chris froze for a moment as fear and frustration seemed on the verge of overwhelming him. Chris forced his emotions back then looked around to get his bearings. The car ramp was to the left at the other side of this level. He looked at the others. They were all watching him. For some reason beyond his understanding they all seemed to have started looking to him for leadership. He was just an ordinary investment broker in an office full of investment brokers and was just as out of his depth as they were. "This way!" He called out as he grabbed both his children's hands and started off in the direction of the car ramp.

He felt a growing vibration in the floor and a low rumble that was soon accompanied by the sound of car alarms. "**Against the wall, NOW!**" He yelled over the fast growing roar and sprinted for the foundation wall dragging his two kids with him. Then the lights went out and the world fell in on them.

_**Continued in Part 2**_

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_'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._

_V.12.04.15  
_


	2. The Damage

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

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**Chapter 2 : The Damage**

Sammy screamed in pain as she frantically rolled on the lobby floor to put out the flames along her left side and back. She had just managed to dive back through the door to avoid being buried under the flaming wreckage that was falling outside, but some of it had caught in her clothing and set it on fire. Several people ran over to help her and one threw some kind of blanket or curtain over her to help put out the flames. She lay there, stunned, on the floor looking up at the concerned and dazed faces around her for a few moments then she thought of Joe. "My phone, where's my phone?" She frantically looked around for it, then, as the stunned crowd parted for her, she saw her smashed cell-phone starting to melt in the burning debris just beyond the nearby shattered glass doors. She winced, uttering a tiny cry of agony, when some woman accidentally brushed against her burned back. It took a strong effort before she had her shakes under control.

Slowly she got up on her feet, the half burned curtain still draped across her shoulders, and then she numbly followed the growing stream of evacuees headed out another door on the side of the building that was not blocked. Joe had told her to head for Catherine's place. The painful burns not withstanding she thought she could make it there. Her clothes had absorbed most of the damage and the hospital where doctor Peter worked was on the way.

~ o ~

Sammy trudged along the streets, crowded with people that were standing and watching the towers burn. Her mind seemed to have gone numb as awareness of her surroundings were submerged beneath the pain of her burns, the need to keep moving her feet, and the desire to reach Joe. Without realizing it she had broken into a trot, trying to put as much distance between herself and the horror behind her as possible. In her mind, she kept seeing that body that had hit the ground with a sickening thump, less than eight feet from her as she had passed around the east side of the doomed north tower.

Awareness of her surroundings returned and she noticed that she was about to pass St. Vincent Hospital. She paused for a minute winded by her efforts and by the effects of the faint haze that was settling over the city. Her burns were really starting to hurt bad now. She stood in front of the hospital for several seconds trying to remember why she was here. Then the pain from the burns broke through her daze and, shaking her head to clear it, she headed inside. As she reached for the door there was a deep rumbling noise that she could feel in her gut. She looked south and watched, in stunned horror, as the south tower collapsed in a great cloud of dust and debris. For several seconds she stood there, holding the open door, trying to wrap her already overtaxed mind around the enormity of what had just happened. Her momentary paralysis was broken by the sight of the boiling cloud of dust that was advancing up the street and she continued inside. There were injured people everywhere already. The waiting room had been turned into one great triage.

As she looked around at the barely organized chaos, Peter spotted her and came over. He took one look at her condition and immediately hustled her into a room of the burn unit. Her ears were assaulted by the cries of the other victims that filled the burn unit. He glanced around but all the burn unit doctors were occupied so he quickly checked her over then began treating and dressing her burns in a special type of gel bandages. In the midst of the very painful process they both felt more than heard a low rumble through the floor. A few seconds later they heard someone shouting. "The other tower just fell!"

While Peter was treating her, one of the burn unit doctors glanced in to see how he was doing. He nodded approval of Peter's work, before going on to the next burn patient. Finally, after what, for her, seemed like forever, he was finished. "It's nowhere near as bad as I had feared. Though it may not feel like it, you're a lot better off than most of the burn victims they've brought in here." Peter was thinking to himself that it was a good thing because serious burns were well outside his experience as a typical family physician.

Peter had noticed her labored breathing and reached into a cabinet. "All this dust and smoke is going to play hell with your asthma." He filled a syringe. "This will help." He gave her the injection then he reached into a drawer and pulled out an inhaler. "Take this." He handed the inhaler to her. "I'm sure you left yours behind . . . as usual." He reached into another cabinet and pulled out a small packet of pills. "These will help with the pain but use them sparingly. They are especially strong and once they're gone, I can't give you any more."

She blinked at him as he handed the items to her then in a sudden rush of need she got up from the table. "I have to go."

"You really shouldn't go out there, I would prefer it if you would stay here over night." Peter insisted.

"I can't." She replied. "I told him I'd meet him at Cathy's."

Peter pulled out his cell-phone. "Why don't we call Joe, first, let him know you're here." He found that his cell was unable to get a connection so he tried the phone on the nightstand but it wasn't working either. "Damn, all the phones are down."

Sammy started walking towards the door. Peter followed her, trying to talk her into staying when someone called for his help with another victim. He turned to the crowded emergency room as she continued out the door. He looked back to see the door swing shut behind her as she disappeared into the swirling dust outside. "Be careful out there," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Sammy had always been stubborn when she got her mind set on something, and right now she was fixated on getting to Joe. "It's going to turn very nasty and dangerous out there soon." He murmured to himself then he hurried to the aid of another victim.

~ o ~

Jacob was aware of pain in his left shoulder and hip. His head throbbed terribly. He was laying face down in darkness. The air was heavy with the scent of dust and burning fuel and he could feel warmth coming from somewhere to his right. Panic rose as he realized that he couldn't move his legs. Then he remembered the words his father had drummed into him about emergencies in the tunnels. "First thing is to take slow deep breaths until you can calm down and think rationally, then assess your situation. Then if you decide the situation warrants it, go ahead and panic."

He fought down his fear and began assessing his situation. He could feel pressure against his body and found that he was pinned from the waist down. He felt about his waist and encountered a sloped wall of what felt like rubble. He thought about it and decided that he must be partially buried in loose debris up to the small of his back. The fact that he had feeling from the waist down, meant that his spine wasn't badly damaged. That was good news. His shoulder and hip hurt terribly. His shoulder was sticky and he could smell blood. That was not good news. The large bump on his head was just a pain.

It was pitch dark and Jacob began feeling blindly around himself. To his right he could feel the concrete wall about two feet away. It was tilted towards him at about a thirty degree angle and it was very warm to the touch. All around him the floor was covered in loose rough debris and dust as far as he could reach. His hand had also encountered something hard and metallic located about eight inches to the left of his head. It was about twelve inches to a side, embedded in the ground and the top of it was definitely above his reach. While checking the object near his head, he became aware of a faint current of air passing over him. There was fresh, though dusty, air so he wouldn't suffocate. Well overall it could be worse.

He reached behind his back and scooped a handful of the rubble. The image of his father instructing him rose in his memory. He remembered his father's words, "Caution and speed are equally important." Like his father had taught him, he carefully scooped the pebble sized stuff by the handful and tested each larger chunk to be sure it didn't bring down more before gently pulling it loose and removing it. This turned out to be extra difficult because he was trapped face down. He tried to toss the debris as far away from himself as he could. Slowly he began to remove the rubble that was covering his lower half. As he continued to dig himself out he kept wondering what had happened. This had not been a simple cave-in. The tilted foundation wall was mute testimony to that. He had heard about the bomb from several years ago. If that foundation wall was that far out of place, what had happened to the tower. He felt a stab of fear. Sammy and Kipper and Derrick worked in those towers. What about the rest of the tunnels and the community. How extensive was the cave-in.

Jacob became aware of a strong sense of _anxiety_ that he realized was coming from his father and his sister. He immediately reached out, projecting a feeling of _well-being_ and hope towards his parents to let them know that he was OK. He felt _relief_ come back from his father and his twin sister. He even caught a faint echo of that relief from his mother. Then he felt both his father and his sister projecting a strong sense of _relief_ and _love_ at him. He silently wished that he could use more than just emotions to communicate with them at times like these. At least they knew where he was and they would be coming for him. He was also glad to know that his family was OK.

There was no way to know how long it would take for them to dig their way to him so he continued to dig himself out from under the rubble. He had let his mind wander from what he was doing when one particularly large piece of stone pulled free suddenly and the rubble started shifting and sliding down on him. By the time it stopped shifting he was covered almost half way up his back.

After he had reassessed the situation Jacob slowly and painfully began removing the rubble again. Eventually he uncovered his backpack right next to him at just below waist level. It had been ripped open where the left shoulder strap had been. He pulled out a water bottle and stopped to rest while he drank some water.

~ o ~

Sharon Gains had gone into town on a shopping trip. Chris had taken the kids to work today so she had the whole morning free until she was to meet them for lunch. It was still early as she was driving past Central Park and decided to stop and take in the ambiance. As she walked along, she spotted a drainage culvert and was overcome by a wave of nostalgia. It had been thirteen years since she had lived down there. Even though she had only spent two years in the tunnel community, it still loomed large in her heart. Sometimes she found herself wondering if it had all been some kind of impossible dream, particularly her memories of its most unique denizen, Vincent. Almost without thinking she wandered down into it.

The iron gate was right where she remembered. She stared at it for several minutes, remembering another time long ago. She reached in past the gate and found the hidden switch. She touched the switch gently and debated pressing it just so she could see the place again. They had taken her in when she was fifteen, pregnant and needed help and they had helped her take care of her son that first year after he was born. Finally she shook her head, sighed and headed back out. That was a closed chapter in her life. She had been seventeen when she had met Chris. A year later they had been married. She had never told him about those tunnels or any of her life before they met. On her way out she paused at the bend in the tunnel and looked down. This was the spot where Vincent had found her so long ago. With a sigh she continued to the outside.

As she reached the surface there was something different, something wrong. Then she saw it. To the south a great cloud of smoke was rising into the air. A terrible chill ran down her spine. She started walking, looking for a clear line of sight. Through a break in the trees she could see more of the smoke plume. The smoke was coming from direction of the two towers. Her husband and her children were there.

She pulled out her cell-phone but when she tried to use it all she got was a message that all circuits were busy. She ran to the edge of the park and across the street past a dozen people staring to the south and entered a deli. "Your phone. I need to use your phone." The stunned shop keeper motioned mutely to the phone on the wall by the counter and continued to watch the disaster unfold on the small TV mounted to the wall. She became aware of the image on the screen and watched in horror as an airplane came in and smashed into the other tower in a splash of smoke and flame. She staggered back a few steps and sat down on the floor, hard. "No!" Tears filled her eyes. "Chris!" She cried in anguish. She became aware of the announcer saying something about 'second plane' and 'twenty minutes ago'.

Sharon jumped up from the floor and snatched up the receiver then dialed her husband's number. She got a busy signal then the line went dead. She tried to call Chris' mother and again got a busy signal. She continued trying to call both Chris and his mother. She didn't know what else to do. Her attention was drawn to the television when she heard them say that the Pentagon had just been bombed and the authorities were all speculating on a massive terrorist attack. She made several more attempts to call her husband and her mother-in-law without any luck.

After a while she gave up and wandered back out into the park. As she stood there watching the very top of the towers, it was all she could see from her location, she continued to try her cell-phone. Finally she got a call through to Chris' mother.

"Gloria, have you heard from Chris?" She was trying not to let her fear overcome her.

"No, I haven't and I'm scared. That first plane hit about where his office is." Sharon could hear the strain of near panic in her mother-in-law's voice. "How are the kids handling it?"

Sharon broke down. "Chris took the kids in to work with him this morning."

There was an anguished "**No!**" from the other end of the line.

After promising to call back if she learned anything Sharon hung up and headed back across the street where she joined a crowd watching some TVs in a store front window. She again tried to call her husband. As she stared at the images of the towers one of them came down and at the same time her cell-phone went dead. She cried out inarticulately in horror. As she looked to the south, a great cloud of dust billowed up into the sky. Without thinking she turned and ran for the one place that had long ago come to represented sanctuary to her. Even before the hidden door was completely open she ran blindly past the startled man that was coming the other way. She ran all the way to the community dining room where she collapsed at one of the tables and finally surrendered into broken-hearted weeping.

~ o ~

Looking around Jacob realized that it wasn't really dark and he could just barely make out his surroundings. The whole area was bathed in a very faint, deep red, almost maroon, Light. It was brightest on the concrete wall. He gingerly reached out towards it. The wall was much hotter than before, almost but not quite hot enough to burn. He remembered Dr. Peter once telling him that, like his father, he could see partway into the infrared spectrum. He was seeing by the heat coming from the concrete wall.

He glanced at the steel beam he could now see and shivered despite the warmth from the wall. That thing had missed impaling him by only a foot. He felt a painful twinge from his shoulder. Less than a foot. That was what had ripped the backpack from his shoulders and left the painful gashes in his shoulder and thigh. Again he shivered. So close!

He reached out towards his father again. His father was about a hundred yards away and had stopped moving towards him. That must be the other side of the cave-in. It could take a week to dig that far if it was anything like what he was buried in. He shoved his backpack ahead of his position and continued digging himself out.

After another hour of digging he gathered his strength and, with one powerful heave, yanked himself free. Quickly he scrambled forward as a large amount of dirt and rock shifted down into the area where he had been.

He stood up and took a quick look at his surroundings. This section of the tunnel ran along the building's foundation and was relatively intact. He turned his attention to his backpack. Fortunately he had been bringing a load of supplies for his special private cave so he had enough crackers and peanut butter and pop-tarts to last a couple of weeks. Water, however, would soon be a problem. He only had two bottles.

As he sat there contemplating his situation, he became aware of other presences. There were several of them and they were afraid. As near as he could determine, they were located somewhere further along the concrete wall, probably very close. He usually couldn't sense the emotions of others unless they were very close or in extreme distress.

_**Continued in Part 3**_

* * *

_'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._

_V.12.04.15  
_


	3. The Survivors

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 3 : The Survivors**

Vincent ran back to the library where the council was barely talking as they digested the magnitude of the disaster. He knew Catherine had received his relay of Jacob's projected emotions and he had passed on her reply. Catherine was patiently, and anxiously, waiting for his assessment. Jacob's twin sister, Jennifer, was also there and had been keeping her mother updated on what she was sensing from Jacob.

"Jacob is alive but he is trapped near the Tower foundation. There is about a hundred yards of collapsed tunnel between us and him. I need some people to help me dig him out." He could easily do the digging himself but he needed people to carry away the dirt and bring in shoring material where necessary. He just prayed that it was all like the loose rubble he had found at the cave-in site.

Several people volunteered including Jennifer. Vincent took ten men to help him, he suggested that Jennifer stay with her mother. Father had already heard from Catherine and Jennifer that Jacob was all right but it was still a relief to get Vincent's report. Vincent left with his excavation party as Father began organizing the rest of the tunnel dwellers into several parties that went 'Above' to give aid wherever they could.

Once Catherine had assured herself that Jacob was OK for the present and that rescue operations were moving along smoothly, she went to their brownstone where she found Jenny, Diana, Dennis and Joe waiting for her. Jennifer had wanted to remain 'Below' to be near her brother. Catherine felt that she would be safe down in the tunnels and allowed it. Dennis had picked up his son, Paul, and brought him to Catherine's for safe keeping until the current crisis was over.

~ o ~

Jacob started following along the foundation wall towards the other presences he was sensing. After about a dozen feet he came to a fissure in the concrete foundation wall that was filled with rock and rebar. Past the fissure, the foundation wall was nearly vertical. This fissure turned out to be the source of the fresh air. He tried to dig through it but the rock and concrete was too densely packed into the rebar and after a few minutes he had to give up.

He continued forward along the wall. He also noticed that the foundation wall beyond the fissure was much cooler. After another thirty-five feet he came to a dead end wall of debris. He was close to those unknown presences now. He didn't think they could be more than twenty to thirty feet away. There were several of them and they seemed to be scattered out. He stood there looking at the barrier before him. That's when he noticed that there had been a significant reduction in the fear emanating from the strangers. In fact it had dropped enough that he could barely sense them now.

He turned his mind to his father. Jacob could tell that his father was now near the home tunnels but he was heading back in his direction. He understood that it would be days before they could dig through to him, so for lack of anything better to do, Jacob began digging through the rubble along the foundation wall. It was fairly loose and he made good headway. Before long he had turned it into a game. He was the great archeologist digging through ancient ruins. Every unusual shaped piece of debris was a newly discovered artifact that he took back and piled up next to his backpack.

Jacob's greater strength and endurance combined with his very strong sharp claws gave him a distinct advantage in his endeavor. These were attributes he had inherited from his father along with his lion-like appearance. It made him feel special, proud of what he was, even if it did mean that he couldn't go 'Above' among normal people. Sometimes he wondered why normal people had so much trouble accepting him and his father. His mother was normal people and she liked the way they looked. The tunnel community was made of normal people and they had no problem accepting him and his father. He pulled his mind back from those thoughts and concentrated on his digging.

Soon he ran into two new problems. The further he got from the hot wall, the harder it was to see. Also he had to find someplace to put the rocks and dirt he was digging out. Jacob had noticed a wide spot a few feet back before where he had started digging and went back to check it out. It appeared that part of the floor and tunnel wall had fallen into a fifteen foot wide, twenty foot deep sinkhole. That pit was ideal for his needs, so he started shifting the debris into that pit. Finally he reached a point where it was too dark for him to see and he stopped digging. He had already been at it for several hours and he was tired and achy.

~ o ~

The world was in total darkness and was full of groans and cries for help along with one rather sick sounding car alarm. Chris could hear his daughter weeping beside him. The smell of concrete dust, smoke, oil and antifreeze filled the heavy air. He dug into his pocket and fumbled around for his keychain. He pulled it out, then felt for and twisted the end of the miniature flashlight on it.

**_Light !_**

First he checked Linda, his nine year old daughter curled up against the wall and sobbing softly. She had lots of scrapes and minor cuts but otherwise she was OK. Next he checked Lawrence his fourteen year old son. He was huddled up against the foundation wall staring glassy eyed into space and holding his left arm close to his body. Chris could see that there was a bend in his son's arm where there shouldn't be one. Desperately looking around he spotted a foot and a half long piece of copper pipe. He took off his belt and set it beside the copper pipe

Chris then took hold of his son's good arm. "Larry . . . Larry." He gently shook his son's shoulder. "Larry, look at me!" Slowly his son's head swiveled to look at him. "Larry, your arm is broken. I need to straighten it." He stared into his son's eyes but they still seemed to be staring at nothing. "Larry, do you hear me? I need you to pay attention."

The glazed look seemed to fade just a bit and Larry barely nodded.

Chris looked around and spotted a large chunk of concrete, with twisted bits of rebar sticking out of it, propped up against the side of the car next to them. A shiver went up his spine at the realization of how close it had come to landing on his son. "Larry, I want you to grab a hold of that rebar with your good hand and hold on as tight as you can."

After about a second Larry looked over at the slab of concrete then he finally reached out and grabbed one of the twisted rebar spikes. He looked back at his father.

"Larry, listen to me. I'm going to have to straighten your arm and it's going to hurt like hell but you must not move until I get it braced with that piece of pipe. Do you understand?" He was rewarded with a nod from his son. He gave a quick silent prayer, "_Please, God, let me do this right_."

Chris braced his knee against Larry's chest, gently took hold of the broken arm then with a quick jerk he pulled the arm straight. His son screamed. Holding the pipe against his son's arm he quickly wrapped his belt around it as many times as it would go then buckled the ends together.

Looking closely into his son's eyes he saw pain and tears running down his cheeks. The glazed look was nearly gone and had been replaced by determination. He put his hand on his son's good shoulder. "Larry, I need you to watch over your sister for me. Can you do that?"

After a few seconds, his son nodded acknowledgment then, with Chris's help shifted over beside his sister, putting his good arm around her. She leaned into him and buried her head in his side. After a few sniffles she stopped crying.

Chris touched the side of Larry's face. "Larry, you are so brave. I'm very proud of you, son." Although Lawrence was not really his son, Chris thought of him as his own and had always treated him accordingly. He was just as proud of his adopted son as if he was his own. Chris had once told Lawrence, "Linda may be mine by birth but you, like your mother, are mine by choice and that connection is just as strong."

Now that his children were taken care of, Chris looked around again trying to assess the situation. He became aware of groans and sobbing mixed with the increasingly annoying sound of that very anemic car alarm. The floor was covered in fallen debris. Then he saw George. A length of girder had fallen across him, nearly cutting him in half. Chris had worked with George for seven years. Their wives were close friends. Poor George's wife would be devastated. Then he thought about his own wife. Sharon would be frantic and there was no way he could get a hold of her to tell her they were OK.

About six feet beyond George, he saw that Karen Holdridge was pinned to the floor by another large girder across her legs. Danny Tanner was on the floor next to her, one arm wrapped around her, the other arm hanging loosely. Danny and Karen had become quite an item recently.

His flashlight flickered and dimmed.

~ o ~

When it became obvious that cell-phones were useless and land lines were unreliable, Elliot pulled out one of his company's two satellite phones that he used when he went overseas. Over the next hour he used it to instruct all of his subsidiaries what to do during this crisis, and how to proceed in the event that communication was lost.

As the employees from the South Tower office began to trickle in, they each asked if they could use the satellite phone to call their families to say that they were alive and well. When the final nose count was done there was only one person missing. That was the office manager. He had been right there in the impact area locking the office when the plane had hit.

After seeing all those people use his satellite phone to call family, Elliot decided that he could help a lot of people that way. He raised his voice to make an announcement to everyone in that office. "Everyone, may I have your attention please? . . . The home office here in the Burch Tower are closed for business 'til this crisis is over, but these offices will remain unlocked if anyone needs a place to stay or a place to rest. Please pass that along to anybody else that shows up." Then Elliot grabbed the satellite phone and headed out.

~ o ~

About a mile and a half from Catherine's place Diana was stuck in standstill traffic. She spotted a public parking garage and worked her way over to it. After finding an open space, she pulled in and hung a police vehicle ID tag over her mirror. Hopefully that would prevent anyone from bothering her car while it was there.

Once she was back out on the street she began walking south. The plumes of smoke ahead seemed to cover half the sky and everywhere she saw half stunned people out looking to the south. Even this far north she could smell the smoke and there seemed to be a faint haze in the air.

She pulled out her cell phone and tried it again but it was useless. She just hoped the people down in the tunnels were OK. There was no telling what effect the collapse of the towers might have on those tunnels.

~ o ~

After a couple of hours little Jennifer couldn't stand it any longer. She had to help rescue her brother. She set off for where she knew her father was. She was ten and a half, and very much a product of the tunnels, she knew how to handle herself 'Below' and she knew that she was stronger than most of the men that had gone with her father. In the bustle and confusion of the moment, no one noticed her leave.

~ o ~

As Chris's flashlight flickered and dimmed, he shook it then smacked it but nothing helped. It couldn't be more than a couple of hours since the garage collapsed and his little flashlight wasn't going to last much longer. He glanced around then inspiration hit and he approached the nearest car. Like poor George, it had been crushed in the middle by a falling girder, the same one in fact that now held Karen pinned to the floor. He reached in through the narrow space between the crushed roof and the door and fumbled around, searching by feel, until he found what he wanted. He gave it a yank and was nearly blinded by the brilliant light that flooded the area. He gently pushed in and the headlights went out, leaving just the parking lights on. Now they had plenty of light to work with. He turned off his little flashlight.

Chris looked around at the people trapped in there with him. No one was unscathed. He had a gash in his right arm and calf. He assumed a falling piece of metal had caught him as it fell. He didn't really remember it happening. There were eleven people in all, counting his two children. With the exception of the pretty dark haired woman, they were all people he knew by name. He remembered two other unknown people had entered the garage with them but he didn't see them now. He looked around for James. He knew James had been right next to him when they had entered the garage but he was nowhere to be found now either. Chris felt a twinge of sorrow as he looked back at the wall of rubble and twisted metal where they had come from. Three people he knew well, including a very close friend, were now buried somewhere back there. Another good friend lay dead under a girder seven feet away. Of the three closest friends that he worked with every day, only Phillip was left. Chris felt the deep sense of loss welling up, threatening to overwhelm him and had to fight it down.

Chris pulled himself together, plenty of people needed help now. He picked out two that he knew and that seemed the least damaged. "Anna, Phillip, I need your help." The two he named looked up at him. "We need to go through these cars and pull out everything we find that might be at all useful."

Phillip got up from the floor. "Sure thing Chris." He responded then turned to assist Anna to her feet. "Come on Anna. Let's go on a scavenger hunt." They first headed over to the car with the sick sounding alarm.

The pretty dark haired woman looked up at Chris. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Chris noticed that she didn't appear to be too badly injured. "Do you know any first aid?" He asked.

"I worked for a summer in the U.S. Park Service. I've had their emergency first aid course for park rangers; it was a little more extensive than normal." She replied as she stood up. "My name is Beverly Whyte, by the way."

"Very good. If you could help the injured, that would be great. My name is Chris Gains."

The sick sounding car alarm went silent and several sighs were heard in the sudden quiet.

Galvanized by the fact that someone was apparently in charge and taking action, the rest started helping each other. Some of them attempted to free Karen from under the girder but they were unable to move it. Danny remained with her, trying to keep her warm. Beverly went from one person to the next treating those that needed her help. Chris joined the scavenger hunt. In the second car they found a fairly extensive first aid kit that Chris gave to Beverly.

After about two hours, the scavengers had accumulated a fair sized pile of objects from the cars. The pile included:

7 blankets; 8 road flares; 2 small tool kits; 3 first aid kits; 1 small empty Pyrex food container; 2 tennis rackets; 2 makeup kits; 1 pair of golf cleats; 1 electric air pump; 1 blow up mattress; 6 bottles of water; 12 cans of diet cola in a two gallon cooler; 2 sets of jumper cables; 3 scissor type car jacks; 1 emergency sewing kit; 1 battery powered CD player (no CD's); 2 flashlights; 1 multi-band radio; 1 old Newsweek magazine; 1 small folding camp shovel; 2 sleeping bags; 1 two man tent; 3 small bags of potato chips; 20 assorted candy bars; 1 five gallon bucket of tan paint nearly empty; 2 worn decks of Uno cards; 2 light jackets; 1 tuxedo; 1 pair of well used jeans; 1 set of sexy women's underwear; 1 bottle of car wax; 10 bungee cords; and 6 batteries that were the wrong size for anything else they had found.

Chris grabbed two of the car jacks and, with Phillip's help, jacked up the girder enough to get Karen out from under it. Beverly immediately set to work on Karen's broken leg. The blowup mattress was placed by the front of the car with its lights on and became the infirmary.

It took several hours to get everyone treated and comfortable. Meanwhile several items were put to creative use to make things a little more comfortable for everyone. Afterward, Phillip and Chris with Beverly's help had removed George's body from under the beam and placed it in a far corner of their small space. All of the food and drink items were set aside for rationing. All during this time Chris kept repeating '_One problem at a time,_' in his mind like a mantra as he turned his mind to the next problem to be dealt with.

Once he was sure that he had everyone settled and calm he took a few minutes and quickly checked the perimeter of their prison looking for any type of opening only to find that they were completely enclosed in concrete and steel.

It was about an hour later that the next problem needing to be solved came up. It was the toilet requirements. Chris solved it by emptying out the paint container and sticking it in a relatively secluded corner inside the two man tent. The well used jeans, old magazine and the women's underwear were all sacrificed for toilet paper duty and the tent gave them privacy. It was extremely crude but it would serve the purpose for a while at least. Chris had no idea what he would do when the bucket inevitably got full. '_One problem at a time,_' he thought to himself. He sighed and shook his head. '_One problem at a time,_' he repeated to himself.

After everyone was settled, Chris and Phillip again carefully checking the boundaries of their prison, looking for any way out that Chris might have missed during his first inspection. With the exception of the break in the foundation wall, there was no weak point in the walls of their prison. The rubble filled break in the foundation was the only place that offered any hope of escape. After a few minute's discussion they decided that this spot was their only possible shot at getting out.

Chris fetched the camp shovel from the scavenger hunt pile then he and Phillip selected the most promising looking spot in the ten foot wide rubble filled breach in the foundation wall. Chris started digging in with the shovel while Phillip scoop away the loose dirt and gravel. After a half hour there was a sudden shifting of the rubble then they both jumped back as a large slab of concrete fell, missing them both by inches. As they watched, rubble continued to shift down, completely covering the slab that had just fallen. After recovering from his shock at their close call, Chris discovered that the shovel they had been using was missing and responded with a few choice words. There seemed to be no way out.

_**Continued in Part 4**_

* * *

_'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._

_V.12.04.15  
_


	4. The Creature

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 4 : The Creature**

The air was beginning to get just a little stuffy. Beverly was the one that quietly pointed this out to Chris. It wasn't long before the others began to notice. Soon everyone was aware that their air supply was limited. It had been twelve hours since the building had collapsed. No one really knew for sure how much longer the air would last and the uncertainty began to wear on everyone. Because fear, tension and tempers were rising, Chris was afraid that the often raised voices might break into violence at any moment. What could he do if that happened? He was trying to sooth a flare-up between Ed and Phillip when his daughter who had been sitting against the foundation wall called out. "Daddy, I heard someone."

~ o ~

As Jacob sat by his bag munching on a pop tart, he noticed that the level of _anxiety_ among the strangers had risen significantly and he could now clearly sense them again. They needed help but it was too dark at that end of the tunnel to see what he was doing. He was starting to get upset when he remembered the contents of his backpack. He dug down to the bottom and came up with four candles. They weren't very large but he figured he could get around two to three hours each. He started to panic when he couldn't find the matches. Finally he just upended the bag onto the ground.

Jacob was able to find two of the six matches he knew he had packed. He struck one of the matches and was blinded by the sudden glare. When he could see what he was doing again, the match was nearly used up. He tried to light one of the candles but the match went out too soon. Once again he was plunged into darkness without even the infrared vision to see by. Feeling around in the dark he located the second match and struck it. This time he succeeded in lighting the candle. Now, in the much brighter light of the candle, he was able to locate two more matches. He put them in the empty pop tart bag so he wouldn't lose them again. Now with sufficient light he went back to his excavating.

When he started digging again, he noticed that the rubble was getting increasingly damp. This could be trouble. Excess water made the ground very treacherous. After about an hour and a half, he unearthed a broken section of copper water pipe with a slow trickle of water coming from it. At least he had water now. He finished off his half empty water bottle, then refilled it. His candle was almost gone, so he used it to light the next one and went back to work. His archeologist game was forgotten in his own anxiety over the increasing _fear_ and _urgency_ he was now feeling from the others.

As Jacob got closer to the strangers he could feel them getting _desperate_ and _panicky_. He was worried now that he might not get to them in time. He tried calling out. "Hello! Can anybody hear me?" There was no response and the emotions he was sensing didn't change. He became aware of a fair amount of _worry_ from his father and his sister. He knew that they must have sensed own anxiety. He tried to project _reassurance_ and slowly he felt their _worry_ ease up a bit.

Jacob came to a place where the concrete foundation wall was shattered. The gap was filled in with dirt, rocks, and loose chunks of concrete. The strangers were very close to _panic_ and their presences were also very strong. He stopped and called out again. "**Hello! Can anybody hear me?**"

This time after a few seconds there was a slow shifting of the emotions from the strangers so he tried again. "**Hello! Can you hear me? Are you OK in there?**"

The response was immediate. There was a sudden shift in the emotions. There was a surge of _hope_ as he barely heard the strangers call out. "Help! We're trapped in here! We're running out of air." The voices were coming from the rubble in the break in the wall. They were somewhere on the other side of the concrete wall and they said they needed air.

Jacob changed directions and started digging through the rubble in the break. After a few minutes He realized that this was more densely packed and it was taking too long. If they were running out of air they might not last until he could dig through to them. After thinking about it, he ran back to the fissure that was full of rebar. With a great deal of pushing, shifting and yanking, he was able to free a five foot length of one inch rebar and ran back to where he was digging. He hollered out, "**Hang in there, I'm very close**."

Jacob began driving the rebar into the rubble like a spear over and over again. Each time he drove it a little bit further in. Just as he was about to run out of rebar he broke through. When he pulled it back out he could feel the air flowing into the hole. It wasn't much but it would give them more time. Soon he could sense the _relief_ spreading through the group as they became aware of the flow of fresh air. He called out. "Is everybody OK in there?"

After several seconds a male voice came back. "We have several injured people in here but we're doing much better with the fresh air." There was a pause. "We're a little short on food and our water is limited."

Jacob called back. "Hang in there. I should be through to you in a couple of hours. I have food and plenty of water on this side."

Jacob didn't want to dig next to the air hole and risk collapsing it so he dug a little further to the left of it then started digging inward again with renewed vigor. He had dug in a little over a foot and a half when he ran into a large slab of concrete buried in the rubble. He spent about an hour and a half digging around it. In the process he found a small folding camp shovel buried in the rubble. Again he had to replace his candle.

~ o ~

Chris looked at his daughter. "What did you say?" He asked, not sure he had heard right.

She pointed over to where rubble had filled a gap in the foundation wall. "I heard a voice over there."

Suddenly everyone's attention was riveted on the little girl as they became aware of what she had said. Soon the place became very quiet as everyone strained to listen for any sound. This time they all heard the voice. Several of them called out for help at the same time. The general mood now shifted swiftly towards hope. Help was coming. As Chris sat down by his daughter he couldn't help wondering - That voice had sounded more like a child than an adult.

The voice told them to hold on then there was silence. After several minutes they heard a muffled thud from the pile of debris. A second later there was another thud. The thudding noise continued, almost rhythmically, for several more minutes. Suddenly some small chunks of rock and dirt flew away from the wall and there was a couple of inches of rebar sticking out. The rebar twisted and moved in and out a few times then disappeared into the hole. Chris moved closer. "It's fresh air." He announced triumphantly and saw the relief in the faces around him.

The voice again asked if everyone was OK in there. Chris looked around at those gathered around watching him then he finally replied to the unknown rescuer. He gave a quick synopsis of their status and was reassured that help would arrive within a couple of hours.

The sense of relief in the room was palpable. Chris, Phillip and Beverly tried to dig from their side but without the shovel it was very slow going, and they kept running into large slabs of concrete. About four hours after the initial contact Chris heard a faint scraping sound and some loose dirt shifted downward onto the three of them. Startled, they all jumped back from the rubble wall, the large fallen concrete slab still fresh in their minds. Then a large seven by eight inch piece of foam insulation popped out from the wall of debris and slid down revealing a dark hole. A face appeared in the hole. It was only there for a moment but the gasp that came from Beverly standing next to him convinced Chris that he might not be going crazy. The face that he had caught a glimpse of, had not been human.

As he stood there trying to get his mind around what he had seen, there was a soft whump sound and some of the loose dirt and gravel settled downward along the rubble wall. There was a second whump and a large amount of loose rubble slid down to reveal a three foot by five and a half foot irregular slab of concrete next to the hole where he had seen the face.

~ o ~

Jacob came up against concrete. Within minutes he had uncovered a five foot high by three foot wide irregular concrete surface. On the left the slab was against the foundation wall. On the right there was a narrow gap between it and the large slab he had been required to dig around. The gap ranged from three to eight inches and was densely packed with smaller pebble size ruble and dirt. He started digging at the widest point in the gap.

Finally Jacob broke through and was nearly blinded by bright light coming through an eight inch hole in the gap. He caught a glimpse of several people before he pulled back to rest a minute gathering his strength. The irregular slab was only about four inches thick. Maybe he could push the slab away. Like his father, his body packed a lot more power than his size would suggest. He reared back and threw himself against the slab wall and bounced back. He thought he had felt it move. He threw himself against it a second time. This time it had definitely moved. He watched the rocks shift and fall around the slab. Again he threw himself against it. This time the concrete slab wall collapsed into the garage and he fell through the opening.

The slab fell towards them and Chris heard sighs of relief at the rush of fresh air only to be replaced by several sharp intakes of breath and a couple of exclamations from the others as they all got a good look at the creature that had just battered its way through the rubble and now lay sprawled on the floor.

Jacob, looking up from the floor, found himself face to face with a dozen people. He could feel their emotions of _surprise_, _shock_ and a small amount of _fear_, spread as they got their first good look at him. He worked himself into a sitting position facing the strangers. He was so very tired and he ached all over.

Chris stared at the creature sitting on the ground as it leaned back against the foundation wall next to the new opening. It appeared, for all the world, to be a cross between a lion and a human. It was covered from head to foot in brownish gray dust and it seemed to be suffering from exhaustion.

Anna had edged up on the other side of Chris. "Lord of mercy, what is it?"

The creature looked over at her with a kind of resigned sad look in its very human green eyes. Chris also saw wariness in its eyes as he realized that it appeared to be fairly young.

Beverly spoke up. "Why he appears to be little more than a child."

Chris saw an indignant look flash across its face as it spoke. "I'm ten and a half years old." There was no doubt that this was the same voice that they had all heard through the rubble.

Before Chris realized what was happening or could react to stop her, his daughter had approached the creature. "Thank you for helping us."

Chris wanted to tell his daughter to back away from that creature but he was afraid to antagonize it. There was a gasp from a couple of people as she reached out to touch it. Chris felt his heart skip a beat as her hand came in contact with its right shoulder.

"What are you?" she asked.

The creature shrugged then winced. "Mom says that I am a miracle." A hint of humor appeared in his eyes. "My father says that I am what I am." The creature smiled at Linda, and Chris got a good look at four very nasty looking fangs that sent a chill down his back. "My name is Jacob and I'm just me."

Linda smiled back. "Hi Jacob. My name is Linda." She pointed to Chris. "That's my daddy." She then pointed to her brother who was standing uncertainly next to her. "And this is my big brother, Larry."

He nodded towards Chris. "Hello, sir," then to Larry, "Hi, Larry."

After a moment the creature ... _Jacob_, Chris reminded himself ... shifted his gaze to someone just to the left of Chris. When he looked over, he saw that Karen Holdridge had moved forward with Danny's help and was staring intently at the creature, Jacob. She had the strangest look of recognition and disbelief on her face. "Karen?" he asked. "What is it?"

She seemed to shake herself out of her reverie. "When I was young, my mother and father both used to tell me stories about a lion-man, named Vincent, who lived underground and helped people that others would not. Many of the stories involved helping children in trouble." She paused a moment. "About the time I turned nine, around fourteen years ago, the stories changed, often involving a romance between Vincent and a wealthy high society woman. My parents even wrote a little song about them."

Jacob's face showed surprise. "That's my father's name." He smiled at her again displaying those dangerous looking fangs. "And I do look a lot like him." He raised his hands and looked down at them. Everyone could clearly see the thick fur covering and the dangerously sharp claws on the ends of his fingers. Then he looked up and there was a twinkle in his eyes. "But I have my mom's eyes and hair color." He paused for a second. "Mom and Dad met fourteen years ago."

His look became more serious. "I need to go back and get my backpack. It's got food in it." He groaned as he started to get up and Linda reached out to help him. They turned out to be the same height. When she pulled her hand away, it was covered in blood mixed with dirt and as he started to turn everyone could see the bloody rip in the back of his shirt.

Beverly grabbed the first aid kit that she had kept close by since it had been found. "Jacob! You're hurt. Come over and sit down. Let me take a look at it." Jacob let her lead him over to the blowup mattress where there was better light. "Take off your shirt and let's see what we can do."

Chris noticed that everybody was watching, fascinated by what was happening. His daughter had become quite entranced by the creature, Jacob, and had followed him over to the mattress where she was standing very close by. Her brother was standing next to her trying very hard to look protective. Chris was still very wary about his children standing so close to those dangerous claws and teeth, but he was beginning to feel just a little less uneasy about it. This creature, Jacob, apparently meant them no harm and Linda seemed to like him.

With a painful groan Jacob carefully removed his shirt. His exposed upper body was covered in thick reddish brown fur. For a moment he seemed to be having trouble deciding where to put his hands until he finally rested them in his lap. "Don't want to puncture the mattress." He shrugged looking down at his hands. "My claws are a bit sharp." Though showing obvious signs of wear and tear, sharp was still a very apt description.

"They cause you problems?" Beverly asked.

"Sometimes." He answered. "A few times Mom has threatened to get me de-clawed." Then he noticed the shocked look on Linda and Beverly's faces. "She doesn't really mean it . . . usually." He grinned. "Besides you should see what Dad has done to their bed sheets a couple of times."

Linda giggled and Beverly, as well as several of the other observers, turned bright red and looked away. Linda reached out to touch Jacob's furry arm. "It's so soft." She remarked.

Jacob smiled back at her. "Yea, but it takes forever to dry off after a bath." Chris could see the humor in Jacob's eyes and Linda giggled at the remark. "You should have seen me the time I touched Mouse's Van de Graaff generator. I looked like a giant fur ball." He illustrated by holding his elbows out from his sides and puffing up his cheeks causing Linda to laugh at his antics. Even her brother and some of the others chuckled. Chris got an image from an old cartoon of a cat all puffed up after getting stuck in a dryer and started to laugh. A little more of his anxiety leaked away in that laughter.

Jacob had learned, very early on, how effective humor was in easing tensions as well as lightening his own mood and it served him well now.

Beverly had been examining his wound during their exchange. "This gash is pretty bad, Jacob. What happened?"

"A great big metal beam caught me when the tunnel collapsed." Then he winced as she touched it.

"This needs to be closed but the tape that I normally would use won't stick to this fur." She had a worried look on her face as she studied the problem.

"Can you stitch it?" Jacob asked. That was what Grandfather always did.

"I could but it will be painful without anesthetic." She replied.

He hadn't thought of that. Grandfather always used anesthetic when he stitched up an injury. He remembered how grandfather always insisted that wounds must be cleaned and treated right away before infection could set in and got a determined look on his face. "I know." He replied quietly, trying his best not to show his fear.

_**Continued in Part 5**_

* * *

_'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._

_V.12.04.15  
_


	5. The Rescuers

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 5 : The Rescuers**

Elliot had set up shop with his satellite phone in the Saint Vincent Hospital emergency room. He had made several attempts to call Victoria but she had apparently turned her cell phone off. Now he was using his satellite phone to enable survivors to call their families to reassure them that they were all right.

~ o ~

Victoria had been on the beach in Cancun on a photo shoot for next spring's new line of swimwear. One of the crew ran up carrying a portable radio. "They bombed the World Trade Towers. The United States is under attack." Immediately there was total pandemonium as everyone talked at once. Victoria's heart jumped to her throat. She knew that Elliot's international business office was in those towers and he spent a fair amount of time there. She immediately moved aside, pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. She tried to call Elliot but all she got was a service not available message. Now she was feeling the beginnings of panic.

The crew member with the radio interrupted her. "That won't work. The news said there's no phone service there."

She was momentarily flustered then she remembered that Elliot had that satellite phone. It took her a moment to dredge up the number from her memory. Then she dialed it and got a busy signal. She relaxed a bit. The fact that it was in use was a hopeful sign. She hung up and waited impatiently for several minutes then dialed again. This time she got through.

"Elliot, thank God!" . . .

"I know, I'm sorry, the photographer made all of us turn off our cell phones during shooting." . . .

"We didn't even know about it 'til one of the crew members turned on a radio. It was so scary." . . .

"When I couldn't get through to you I started getting frantic." . . .

"Oh, Elliot, I think that was a great idea. I'm sure you've eased the minds of a lot of families. What about your office in the towers?" . . .

"I'm glad they got out. I'm sorry about Jerry, I know you thought highly of him. How are they doing 'Below'?" . . .

"Oh, no! Is he OK?" . . .

"Please call me as soon as you hear." . . .

"No, I think this shoot is pretty much over. Now that the news is out everybody has other things on their minds." . . .

"I love you, too. Bye."

Next she called home. Fortunately their home was well outside the devastated area and the phone service was working. She established that their son was OK and that Elliot had already told them that he would be unable to make it home tonight. Their housekeeper, Celia, was a good woman and would make sure that the house ran smoothly until she and Elliot returned. She talked to their eight year old son Brandon for a few minutes then hung up.

Victoria closed her cell phone, relieved and worried at the same time. She was glad that Elliot and Brandon were safe and she was so proud that Elliot was using his satellite phone to help those poor people in the hospital. She was, however, very worried about little Jacob, trapped in that cave-in. She prayed that they could get him out alive. She was very fond of Vincent and Catherine and their whole family. After Vincent scared the life out of her that morning twelve years ago when she was jogging in the park she had gotten to know them very well. It was that little park incident that led to her meeting Elliot. She had even come to think of them as family.

The shoot was effectively ended so she packed up her things and headed back to the hotel. She quickly got restless sitting alone in her hotel room. She missed Elliot and wanted so much to be with him but all the airlines had been grounded. Tomorrow morning she was going to have to arrange for some alternate form of transportation home. Finally, like over half of the crew, she ended up in the downstairs bar watching the reports on the bar's many TVs.

~ o ~

Back at the Chandler brownstone, nobody felt like sitting around waiting for news and, after some discussion, they decided to relocate to the Wells-Chandler Foundation headquarters, which was fairly close to where the towers used to be. They figured that maybe, with the resources available there, they could help the rescue and relief workers. Joe decided to stay at Cathy's place just in case Sammy showed up, and to help Naomi watch over the children.

It turned out that well over two thirds of the Wells-Chandler Foundation staff had stayed behind and they were able to use the resources of the center to set up several relief stations near where the towers had been. The aid stations also became popular message relay centers when word got around that they could get messages in and out of the stricken area relatively quickly. It was because of access to the tunnel community pipes and Elliot's satellite phone that they were able to accomplish this. Catherine continued to worry about Jacob but found that helping others made coping with her worries easier. Vincent, Pascal and Father made sure that she got regular updates on the rescuers' progress. Catherine was a bit uncertain when she learned that Jennifer had showed up at the rescue site but decided that Vincent's daughter was better able to handle herself under those conditions than most people she knew and Vincent was there to watch over her.

The normal classes 'Below' were cut short so Charles and Elizabeth came 'Above' to the brownstone where Naomi and Joe could take care of them.

~ o ~

Beverly examined Jacob's wound closely. "This really needs to be cleaned out, but we're a little short of water."

"That's no problem." Jacob spoke up. "There's a busted water pipe about ten feet up that tunnel I came from. You can have all the water you want."

There was an audible sigh of relief from everyone at this pronouncement. They all knew how short the water supply had been. Beverly addressed Larry. "Would you go get a bottle of water and that little sewing kit from the pile over there?" She faced Chris. "Somebody ought to take the empty bottles to that pipe he mentioned and refill them."

Phillip spoke up. "I'll take care of refilling the empty bottles, Chris." He went over to get the empties.

Chris addressed Phillip as he started for the opening. "Maybe you can retrieve his backpack while you're at it."

Jacob chimed in. "My pack is at the other end of the tunnel near where it caved in."

Larry returned with the sewing kit and the water bottle. Beverly poured water over the wound to wash away as much of the dirt as she could. She ended up using up the entire bottle before she felt that it was clean enough. Then after warning him, she quickly swabbed the wound with disinfectant. Jacob clenched his teeth but showed no other reaction.

As she worked on Jacob, she talked to him. "Where do you live, Jacob?" She asked. She was actually very curious about that.

"My mom owns a brownstone near Central Park." He replied.

"Is your mother like you?" She didn't know why she asked that particular question except it was the only thing she could think of on the spur of the moment. Besides she was having trouble picturing a female version of Jacob living un-noticed in such a classy neighborhood. Several of the other people were having similar thoughts.

"Oh no. She's … normal … like you." This caused a few whispered comments among the observers. "My sisters are normal too." He seemed to think for a moment. "Doctor Peter says that only the boys will be like my father and me." He seemed to puff up his chest just a tiny bit as he said this. Beverly realized that he was actually proud of what he was.

Jacob clenched his fists and sucked his breath in through his teeth as Beverly started to stitch the wound together. There were soon tears in his eyes and Linda reached out and put her hand over his closed fist. Beverly was well trained and she had a lot of experience sewing her own clothes so she was able to finish the job quickly. A true surgeon might look askance at the type and style of the stitches, but he would have had to admit that it was a good job and it served the purpose.

~ o ~

Vincent and the dozen volunteers had been working for almost ten hours. Jennifer, Jacob's twin sister had been hanging around helping the work party with the shoring up. She was as strong as the men she was working with and had no trouble keeping up with them. Vincent had been inclined to let her stay because she was as good a worker as any of the men and, with the link between her and her brother, she was the best barometer there was of Jacob's condition. Also he suspected that keeping her away would be difficult at best. So far Jacob's emotions, though they had varied widely, had given no indications that he felt like he was in danger.

They had been making better than expected headway in their digging. Vincent, with his claws and strength was doing the majority of the actual digging while most of the volunteers worked at clearing out the loose dirt and rubble. The remainder, including Jennifer worked at shoring up the excavated sections. Vincent figured that, at the rate they were advancing, they would reach Jacob in about a day and a half, baring any unexpected difficulties. Things were going well and Vincent had begun to relax.

Then it hit. Jennifer dropped the shoring beam she had been lifting into place and cried out. Jacob was in pain. Vincent was stunned by its sudden intensity. It was fading away when it suddenly came back much more intensely. He rushed over to his daughter and picked her up to comfort her. Where he only felt Jacob's emotional response to the pain, Jennifer was feeling the pain itself. He felt her relax when she closed down that part of their link. He couldn't begin to understand the nature of the link between the twins, he just knew the effects. The only time the link between him and Catherine became that intimate was during lovemaking.

Jennifer looked into his face, her eyes brimming with tears. "It's his back. Same place he hurt this morning."

The pain seemed to be coming in pulses and it went on for a several seconds. Then in the midst of the pain came . . . _gratitude_? . . . _friendship_? The bizarre mix was as stunning as the original appearance of the pain and continued for several more seconds. Then the pain faded away but the sense of _friendship_ and _gratitude_ remained. Was someone in there with Jacob? Who could it be? After a few seconds he felt Jacob projecting a sense of _wellbeing_ to him. Whatever it had been Jacob was letting him know that he was OK. Vincent's relief was palpable as he set Jennifer down. Vincent resumed his digging, and Jennifer resumed helping to set up the shoring beams.

~ o ~

When Beverly had finished closing his wound Jacob thanked her. Beverly found herself quite charmed by this young creature and she wanted to know more about him. "So how did your mom and dad meet?"

"Mom was mugged by some very bad men and left in the park for dead. Dad found her and saved her life." He smiled. "Mom said that he scared her out of her wits the first time she saw him and she fell in love with him the second time she saw him." He grimaced. "The story gets pretty mushy after that."

Linda had sat down next to Jacob and was listening attentively to everything he said. Everyone in that garage was standing or sitting around him and listening to him. "Do you have many brothers or sisters?" Linda asked.

"I have five. Jennifer is my twin sister."

"Does she look like you?" Linda asked.

"No she looks a lot like Mom. Only the boys will look like Dad." He replied.

"Oh yea, you already said that didn't you." She nodded.

"There's my older sister Naomi. Actually, mom adopted her a year after Jen and I were born so she's not really related. She's sixteen and a real pain sometimes." Most of the listeners chuckled at that comment. "My little brother Charles is eight. He looks like me and Dad. And there's my baby sisters, Nancy and Brigit. They're twins too. They're five."

Phillip returned with full water bottles that he passed around. Everyone was thirsty and grateful for water that didn't have to be rationed. He handed the backpack to Chris with a barely voiced comment. "Typical kid." When Chris looked inside he couldn't help smiling. The pack was full of crackers, peanut butter, Pop-Tarts and Twinkies. Phillip also handed him the lost camp shovel. "Found this on the floor next to the opening. Guess he preferred using his claws."

Chris held the beat-up backpack out to Jacob. "Here's your backpack."

Jacob shook his head. "Just put it with the rest of the food." Jacob responded trying to look serious and dignified.

Working to meet his gaze with equal dignity, Chris responded. "Thank you, we need all the food we can get."

Anna dug a shirt out of the suitcase they had found and gave it to Jacob. It was ridiculously large on him but he accepted it gratefully. Chris got the impression that sharing was deeply ingrained in Jacob's personality. The more time he observed Jacob the more he found himself liking him. He actually had a charming personality.

After a while Chris noticed that though Jacob was happy to talk, brag actually, about his family, he was extremely careful to avoid telling anything about where he lived or identifying his mother by name. It made sense. His family would not want to be noticed because the results could be disastrous considering their appearance.

~ o ~

Back in the library chamber where the council was meeting, the pipes announced that three subway trains were missing and presumed stalled in the tunnels somewhere near the towers. Jacob dispatched several teams to search the tunnels for the missing trains.

After a couple of hours word came back that two of the trains had been found and the occupants were being lead to the surface by the tunnel dwellers that had found them. The third train was still missing and a section of the subway tunnels leading to the towers had collapsed.

~ o ~

It was getting late and soon everyone was falling asleep. Chris removed all but one of the parking lights from the car to make it darker. Just before lying down for the night Chris did one last check to be sure everything was OK and noticed that Linda had gone to sleep over close to Jacob and that Larry had settled down next to her. He couldn't help wondering if it was safe for them to be sleeping so close to Jacob. Though Jacob appeared to be a well mannered child, Chris couldn't help thinking that he was very strong and those claws looked very dangerous. Finally, after mulling it over in his mind, Chris decided not to disturb his children and settled down close by. Eventually, despite his turbulent thoughts, Chris finally drifted off to sleep.

_**Continued in Part 6**_

* * *

_'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._

_V.12.04.15  
_


	6. The Hope

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 6 : The Hope**

Around three in the afternoon, Joe was roused from a fitful snooze by somebody knocking at Cathy's front door. He looked over where his eight year old daughter, Elizabeth, was napping on the sofa. Little Charles was curled up next to her. They had been born two days apart, he had been first, and though unrelated, they were as close as any two siblings. He remembered how Sammy and Cathy had spent hours grousing to each other about the hassles of being pregnant while he and Vincent had discussed the difficulties of dealing with a pregnant wife. At least Vincent had the experience of going through it once already with Jacob and Jennifer.

Grumbling, he picked up the TV remote, Catherine had once shown him how the front door security camera could be accessed on the TV, and switched to the appropriate channel. The only sound was the clatter of the remote hitting the floor and Joe's indrawn breath. Then he dashed to the front door and yanked it open. "Oh God, Sammy. You're alive." He gingerly drew her inside. She was covered in grey dust and ash and bandages. She seemed to be suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. There was also a kind of haunted look to her eyes.

Naomi and Paul came down the stairs as Joe led Sammy into the breakfast nook and sat her down. Naomi fetched a bottle of Gatorade and brought it over to Sammy then got Paul to help her fix something for Sammy to eat. Joe sat at the table with Sammy and urged her to drink and rest. A few minutes later their daughter wandered around the corner. "Daddy, can I … **Mommy!**" She ran up to them then stopped short. "Mommy?… Are you all right?"

Life came back into Sammy's eyes as she looked at her worried daughter. "I'm fine, Honey. Just a bit tired is all."

Little Elizabeth was not very reassured as she stared at her mother. "But Mommy you're hurt?" She was noticing the thick bandages covering her mother's back and left shoulder through the burn holes in her shirt. It took twenty minutes of talking to convince her that her mother was all right.

After they got Elizabeth reassured and Naomi had led her back into the parlor, Joe took Sammy upstairs and personally gave her a very careful bath and some serious though very careful cuddling.

Paul, Charles and Elizabeth were still worried about Sammy, but Naomi was finally able to distract them with some of their favorite videos. While Naomi watched after the children, Joe looked after Sammy.

Around nine, Naomi put the children to bed. Joe did his best to make Sammy as comfortable as possible.

~ x x x x x ~

Chris awoke disoriented. Why was the bed so hard, where was he? He was sure he had heard something but he couldn't remember what had disturbed his sleep. He glanced around at the dimly lit garage and memory came flooding back. He stretched and looked at his watch. 10:47am. He didn't usually sleep that late. Then he heard his daughter shriek and looking over towards the sound, he saw two clawed hands raised. He heard Jacob's voice proclaim in triumph. "That'll teach you to mess with me."

Chris jumped up in a panic and bounded over towards that frightening sight only to face something quite different than he had expected. Jacob, Larry, Linda, Karen and Danny were sitting around a pool of light from a car's backup lights and laughing as Linda raked in a handful of Uno cards. With a sigh of relief, Chris looked around to see that everyone else was starting to stir. Apparently his daughter had awoken everyone else. He looked back down into his daughter's smiling eyes. "He's so mean, Daddy." She proclaimed, pointing to Jacob. "Look what he made me do." She held up the fist full of cards she had just picked up.

"How did he make you pick up so many?" He asked, curious.

"Jacob showed us a modified version of Uno he calls 'Cut Throat Pass Along'." Danny interjected. "Draw twos and draw fours can be passed along if you have the right cards. It's a vicious game."

Jacob looked up at him grinning wide enough to display his wicked looking fangs. "Uncle Devin taught me this version the last time he visited us. He said it separates the men from the boys." He laughed. "It's also a lot of fun."

David hobbled up to them just then. "Who emptied the toilet bucket?"

Danny answered. "Jacob did, early this morning."

"Where did you dump it?" Chris asked with a hint of concern.

"There's a fairly deep pit about halfway down that tunnel I came through. I dumped it in there and shoved a bunch of dirt in on top of it." Jacob replied.

"That was very smart thinking, young man." David remarked.

"I have to agree." Chris added while nodding his approval.

Jacob puffed up just a bit at the praise. During this conversation the game had continued and Karen had played a 'reverse' card then Linda put a 'Draw 4' card down with a triumphant, "Ah Ha!"

Jacob instantly deflated with a groaned, "Aw man," as he picked up four cards.

'_Regardless of Jacob's appearance,_' Chris thought, '_He is a pretty typical, though intelligent and thoughtful, ten year old boy._' Also both of Chris's children seemed to like him. Linda was apparently having a grand time. His presence among them had taken everyone's mind off of the precariousness of their situation and his children had acquired a most unusual friend.

~ o ~

Catherine and Vincent entered their kitchen the next morning where they found Naomi had already been up for almost an hour. It had been nearly midnight when they had both come dragging in. It had taken both Diana and Catherine together to finally drag Vincent and Jennifer from the dig site. Joe and the children had already retired and they had not wanted to intrude. Naomi shooed them out of the kitchen, telling them that she would fix breakfast.

Twenty minutes later Naomi headed up the stairs to the rooftop garden, to fetch some rosemary and basil, just as Diana and Dennis came down. "How's Joe?" Diana asked.

"Don't know. He hasn't gotten up yet." Catherine replied. "I just wish we knew what happened to Sammy. I got word that Sammy had made it as far as Saint Vincent Hospital but that was the last anyone had heard of her." She sighed. "At least we know that she was still alive at that point, though I'm worried about the lack of news since then."

"I know what you mean." Diana remarked. "I'm also a little bit worried about how Joe is taking it. Haven't there been any reports at all of her since she walked out of the hospital?"

"None." Vincent replied. "She just walked out of the hospital and disappeared. Peter said she looked a bit shell shocked and he thinks she may have been headed here. I've alerted all the helpers to be on the lookout for her."

At that moment Joe and Sammy came down the stairs, hands firmly clasped together.

"Sammy!" Both Catherine and Diana cried out together as they rushed forward. They both stopped short as they saw her bandages, exposed by the oversized tank top she was wearing, and remembered Peter's report yesterday. Catherine spoke first. "Sammy, I'm so glad you made it. How are you doing? We were so worried about you."

Sammy was touched by the concern on everyone's face. "I'm much better now. Joe took good care of me last night and these special bandages Peter gave me helped a lot." She then looked worried. "Joe told me that Jacob was trapped in a cave-in. Is he OK?" The question was directed to Vincent. She knew of his special connection to Catherine and their children. Sometimes she envied them that.

"He's already awake and in good, even playful, spirits." Vincent replied. "Jennifer says that he's not alone. We don't know who it is in there with him, but we're pretty sure it's not anyone known to us."

After they ate breakfast, everyone but Joe, Sammy, Naomi and the kids headed below. Sammy couldn't go below because of the effect the tunnels had on her asthma and Joe wanted to stay with her. No one really blamed him for that. As soon as they got below Catherine signaled on the pipes that Sammy had been found and was safe at her place with Joe. They headed for the dining chamber to meet with the next shift of diggers. Jenny and Elliot were both waiting there for her. Elliot had brought his second satellite phone to pass along to Catherine for use by the search and rescue teams at the disaster site.

While there Catherine noticed a strange woman sitting in a corner with a few people, including Father and Elder Jennifer, sitting around her. She looked very sad, even at a distance. Father was obviously trying to console her.

"Who's that?" She asked.

Vincent looked at the woman, a puzzled look on his face then with a look of surprised recognition he responded. "That's Sharon. She spent a couple of years with us as a pregnant teenager about the same time I found you."

Mary came up behind them. "Sharon lost her whole family in the towers. Her husband had taken the kids in to work yesterday morning." She shook her head as she gazed at the grieving woman.

At this point Jennifer arrived in the dining chamber moving at a dead run. Jennifer was fussing about being left behind when a surprising message flew along the pipes. Everybody stopped talking as they became aware of the message.

"**Dig-team … found … survivors … wrecked … subway-car**"

Vincent raced out of the dining chamber followed closely by Jennifer, Elliot, the rest of the relief dig team and several extra volunteers. For the next hour everyone in the dining chamber speculated about what had happened. Several wondered if they had found Jacob. Then the word came back that there were twelve survivors, all in serious condition and all strangers. They were being taken to Saint Vincent Hospital and word was to be sent to Peter to be ready for their arrival.

An hour after that, the extra volunteers returned and were immediately pounced on for a report.

Aaron ended up responding for the group. "It looked like a subway car fell through a weak spot into the tunnel we are digging through, and then was buried by the falling rubble. There were six dead and twelve living aboard. Most of the survivors were in pretty bad shape. We don't know if all of them will survive. Peter said he would keep everyone updated on their condition. Elliot went up with the survivors and he is notifying their families. He also took the personal effects of the deceased to pass on to the authorities."

"Then you haven't reached Jacob yet?" Catherine asked.

"No they still have a ways to go." Aaron replied. "That subway car caused several hours delay to dig around it 'til we found a safe way to get into it and rescue the survivors inside." He thought for a second. "I heard Vincent say that he thinks we should reach Jacob by sometime tomorrow morning, depending on digging conditions. We're still way ahead of where we had originally expected. The collapsed tunnel is in much better shape than we had any right to hope for."

Little Jennifer entered the chamber then made a beeline for her mother. She had been with the crew during the subway car rescue and, like the rest, was covered in rock dust. "Jake's awake, I think he's playing with someone." She grabbed a piece of toast from Rebecca's half eaten plate on the next table.

"Jennifer, go get your own breakfast, you mooch." Rebecca rebuked her, grinning over the running gag between them.

"But it's more fun to swipe it from you." Jennifer shot back as she headed to the back of the chamber.

After the breakfast plates were put away, Catherine, Jenny, Diana and Dennis headed for the emergency aid center in the Wells-Chandler building. With them they carried Elliot's second satellite phone. Elliot had suggested that she pass it along to whoever was in charge of the Fire and Rescue teams 'Above'.

~ o ~

Since they had first woke up, the kids had been having a great time playing games. It had done a lot to lighten the mood of all those trapped in the collapsed garage. The adults however were still doubtful about their chances of being rescued. They had managed to get very poor reception on one of the lower band radio stations by clipping the multi-band radio's antenna to one of the steel beams, so they were all aware of what had happened. When they heard that it had been Arab terrorists behind the attack, Malik had cursed non-stop for several minutes. After which he had withdrawn to a spot by himself and hadn't said a word to anyone since.

Ed was the first to voice their fears later that morning during a discussion of rationing strategy. "What's the point? We're buried under millions of tons of concrete and steel. It will take them months to clear their way down to us. They may not even get down this far." He was hobbling back and forth ranting. "Ether way we'll probably be dead long before they can reach us. Our food will be gone in a week at the most. They'll never reach us in time."

Jacob spoke up at this point. "Yes they will. They should be here in a couple of days. I thought it would take them a week but they're digging much faster than I expected. They're only about sixty yards away now."

They all looked at Jacob in surprise. "What do you mean?" Demanded Ed. "How could you possibly know how close they are?"

"I know because my father and sister are there with the rescue party. It's part of being what I am. I can sense the presence of my family. All I have to do is think of them and I know where they are." Jacob's eyes became unfocused for a second." Then he pointed. "Mom is in that direction about a quarter mile away." He pointed in the general direction of the tunnel. "Dad and Jen are about sixty yards in that direction and they have been getting slowly closer ever since yesterday." He shifted his arm a little to the right. "Charles is in that direction about five and a half miles . . . Which means that he's at home." He looked around. "My dad is the same way. He always knows where I am and he's coming to get me."

Ed shook his head as he responded. "But that's totally incr . . ."

There was a low rumble and a cloud of dust billowed out of the gap in the foundation wall. Jacob jumped up and ran to the opening then stopped and appeared to be listening for a second. Chris caught up to him then noticed others crowding towards them and ordered. "Everybody stay back." Carefully Chris eased himself through the opening. The dust was so thick he was having a hard time breathing and it was hard to see. Jacob followed behind. About two feet beyond the broken water pipe they ran into a wall of rubble. They quickly retreated back to the garage. "That isn't so bad." Chris remarked, thinking that they still had access to the water.

At that moment Jacob felt a sudden increase in _anxiety_ mixed with _fear_ coming from his father. A half second later there was a very faint rumbling noise that seemed to come from far away and he felt Jennifer's _fear_ and _anxiety_ level shoot right up into full blown _panic_, then _pain_. "**Jen! Nooo!**" He cried out in anguish as he collapsed to the floor.

_**Continued in Part 7**_

* * *

_'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._

_V.12.04.15  
_


	7. The Disaster

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 7 : The Disaster**

Vincent felt the vibrations before anyone else was even aware there was trouble. "Everyone back! **NOW!**" He roared out. Everyone turned and ran back up the tunnel as the rumbling rapidly become deafening. Almost immediately they were engulfed in a cloud of dust that blinded them as they ran. Vincent reached out to locate Jennifer. She was behind him. He whipped around feeling for her presence.

Vincent felt it go through him like a spear. _Fear_, _Pain_, _Panic_. "**Jennifer!**" He cried out, and sprinted blindly back down the dust choked tunnel. "**Jennifer!**" Jennifer was no where to be found. He could feel Jennifer's _panic_ rising fast, then he had her located. Frantically Vincent began digging, scooping the loose rubble away as fast as he could. He was effectively blinded by the thick dust in the air so he was working by touch. All the while he could feel Jennifer getting weaker. In three minutes, just as the dust was settling enough for him to see, he had uncovered Jennifer's head. She was still alive but she was unconscious. Another five minutes and he had extracted Jennifer from her would-be grave.

It was suddenly quiet except for the coughing. Kanin had heard Vincent run back down the tunnel calling his daughter's name. Staring into the dusty gloom through teary eyes he called out. "Is everyone else all right? Call out your names." Everyone called out their name except Jesse. "**Jesse! ** Where's Jesse?" No one answered. "Jared, come with me. Two of you get a stretcher." Jared and Kanin arrived at the caved in area just as Vincent pulled Jennifer free of the rubble. She coughed once and blood came up. Vincent took off running, holding his precious burden close to his chest.

~ o ~

Jacob sat on the garage floor overcome with fear and grief as Jennifer's _pain_ and _panic_ washed through him. Her chest was on fire, she couldn't breath. She was fading, getting weaker.

For several minutes Chris tried to get Jacob's attention. Finally Jacob felt the weight of Chris's hand on his shoulder just as he felt Jennifer lose consciousness. There were tears in his eyes as he looked up at Chris. "Jacob, what's wrong?" Chris was very disturbed by the look on Jacob's face.

"It's Jen. She was caught by the cave-in. She's dying." He ended with a sob, placing his head in his hands. "It's my fault. She was there because of me." He could feel her slipping away, the link getting weaker. For several more minutes Chris tried to comfort Jacob without result.

Then she was gone and Jacob let out with an anguished, "**NOOOO!**"

~ o ~

Eyes stinging and throat choked from the dust, Kanin looked down and saw where the shifting rubble had exposed a hand. "Jared, Help me here." Two of the workers arrived with a stretcher just as Kanin and Jared began digging. "Mark, get to the nearest pipe and signal that Vincent's headed to Saint Vincent Hospital with an injured Jennifer. Aubrey, Help us here." The three started clearing the rubble away as fast as they could.

It took them another five minutes to uncover Jesse's upper body. He wasn't breathing. Aubrey began giving CPR while Kanin and Jared continued to dig the rest of him out. By the time they had freed him, Jesse was breathing on his own but he was still unconscious. They loaded Jesse onto the stretcher and started back up the tunnel. When they reached the rest of the digging party Kanin took charge.

"Four of you take him to Saint Vincent. It's the closest with power." He told them. Jared and Aubrey grabbed a couple more and they trotted off with their burden. Kanin turned to the remainder of the digging party. "Come on you guys, we still have to dig through to Jacob. Someone go back and signal for them to send some more workers. We need about eight or nine more." He then turned and led the rest back to the excavation site. Kanin estimated that they had lost somewhere between ten and fifteen feet of work in the cave in. After double checking the bracing to be sure it was stable, they began the task of digging their way through to Jacob.

~ o ~

Catherine handed a cup of coffee and a sandwich to a grimy exhausted fireman. She had felt Vincent's _fear_ and _worry_ for the last twenty minutes and was seriously thinking of going Below when a young teenage girl from the tunnels rushed up to her and panted out. "Catherine … Jennifer has been injured … Vincent … rushing her to … Saint Vincent." The young girl collapsed breathing hard.

"Oh no!" Catherine grabbed the table as her knees got weak.

Jenny grabbed her shoulder. "You go, be with Jennifer. We'll cover for you here."

With a grateful pat on Jenny's forearm, Catherine headed for the nearest tunnel entrance. Because the chaos above ground, it was the fastest and safest way to get where she wanted to go. She clearly felt Vincent's _anxiety_ and _fear_ as she entered the tunnels and prayed that Jennifer would be all right, then she felt for her tenuous link to Jacob and encountered _fear_ and _sorrow_. The intensity of the emotions surprised her. If he was as hard hit as this then Jennifer must be in bad shape. At times like this she wished that she could connect to the girls the way she could connect to her two boys. Though requiring a concerted effort on her part and nowhere near as strong as her bond with Vincent, it still was enough to give her some idea how they were feeling.

~ o ~

Robert lay half dazed on the cot in the emergency room trying to sort out the bizarre images floating through his memory. True, he probably had a concussion, but that didn't really account for what he had seen. The last clear memory was riding on the subway towards the World Trade Center with his client, Diane. He remembered how the whole subway car shook violently then the floor fell away and then there was chaotic bouncing and pain. The next fuzzy memory was of being crushed between the back of a seat and a crazily bent pole while the world around him was tilted at an un-natural angle. He had looked around for Diane but he hadn't been able to see her. There was an indeterminately long period when he floated in and out of painful consciousness.

Then there was a young pre-teen girl, with the most startlingly brilliant blue eyes and covered in grey dust, leaning over him and announcing that he was alive and awake but he was trapped. Then things got really weird when a very large lion-like monster came up and bent away the pole that was pinning him, with it's bare hands (claws?). One detail that struck him was that its eyes were the same startling blue shade as the little girl. Two men in worn and patched clothes covered in grey dust appeared and gently eased him onto a stretcher. The whole time they were freeing him, the pretty little blue eyed girl kept telling him that they were going to get him out of there and he would be OK. The next fuzzy memory was of the monster giving orders in the most incredible voice as he was carried off on his stretcher by those same dust covered men. Now he was laying in the hospital being patched up. He was alive, but thanks to what? A child and an impossible creature that shared the same remarkable blue eyes?

He gradually became aware of the nurse that was attaching a temporary cast on his leg. He looked around the crowded chaotic room. "Diane." He croaked out. He cleared his throat as the nurse became aware of his awakened state. "There was a young woman in the subway with me. Light brown hair, red shirt, blue jeans. Her name was Diane."

The nurse thought for a minute. "Yes, I think I saw a woman matching that description in the same group that you were brought in with. I think they took her into emergency surgery." The nurse checked her work. "I can go check on her condition for you." She stood up and left, taking her supplies with her. About three minutes later she returned followed by a doctor. "The young lady is in serious but stable condition." She told him.

The doctor stepped up beside the nurse. "Did you say her name was Diane? There was no identification on her. What is your relationship to her."

"She was my client. Her name is Diane Winters and she has no living relatives. Will she be OK?"

The doctor began checked him over. "Are you accepting responsibility for her?"

"If necessary . . . she has nobody else." He clearly remembered that part of his conversation with her when she first came to him for help. He looked the doctor in the eyes. "My name is Robert McCall."

"I'll enter your name as responsible person then." The doctor made notes on a pad. "She had a fractured skull and three broken ribs and was suffering from dehydration. She will recover but it's too soon to tell how much her brain was affected. There may be some memory loss." He finished his quick examination of Robert. "Well, that should do it. You're all set Mister McCall. Your leg was fractured in two places but fortunately they were both clean breaks and should heal nicely. You have two cracked ribs but, again, fortunately there were no complete breaks. Of those brought in with you, you seem to have fared the best. We've stitched up the laceration in your scalp." The doctor, Peter Alcott was the name on his badge, smiled at him. "The headaches are from the concussion but it's not serious and they will go away in a day or two." The doctor handed him a small bottle of pills. "If the pain in your leg or your ribs gets too bad you can take . . ."

"Peter!" Someone yelled out. "Jennifer's been hurt."

"Oh my God, **No!**" The doctor cried out looking in the direction the call had come from. As he stood up he called to an orderly. "Take her in ER 4! **Now!**"

Robert looked around to see the same young girl from his addled memory. She was being carried by a man in layers of worn, patched clothes who set her gently onto a gurney. She was covered from head to foot in gray rock dust. Her eyes were closed and there was blood coming from her nose and mouth but he was sure it was the same girl. She was real! Did that mean the monster was real too? He had to find out for the sake of his own sanity.

He watched as Dr. Peter Alcott followed the gurney into the designated ER room, calling for an ER surgeon. Robert levered himself to his feet and, supporting himself against the wall, followed unobtrusively. Unobtrusive observation was one of his many skills from his younger days as a secret agent. He positioned himself where he could keep an eye on the ER where they were working on the mysterious little girl. He heard one of the doctors announce, "There's no pulse!" Suddenly there was a flurry of activity around her.

~ o ~

Catherine spotted Vincent leaning against the tunnel wall near the entrance behind Saint Vincent hospital. He was immersed in his own grief and misery. She ran up and threw her arms around him. Vincent put his arms around her and they stood there for a few moments absorbing comfort from each other.

Catherine pulled back. "What happened?"

"There was a cave-in . . . dust so thick we couldn't see . . . she got buried." His voice was soaked in pain and sorrow. "I can't even sense her now." He pounded his fists against the tunnel wall. "I shouldn't have let her come with us."

Catherine grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "Non-sense, that's her brother you were digging for. We would have had to chain her down to keep her away." The fact that Vincent couldn't sense Jennifer had her scared to death but she kept her fear down for Vincent's sake. "I knew how dangerous it was for her but I also knew that she wouldn't stay away. And she has helped clear cave-ins before. There is no way you could have prevented this." She hugged him tight. "Peter will see to it that they take good care of her." She held him at arms length giving him a stern look. "Now, get back down there and bring back our son." She gave him a half hearted smile. "I'll go check on Jennifer." She gave him a gentle push and watched as he reluctantly headed back down the tunnel. With a quiet prayer for both her children, she headed up to the hospital.

~ o ~

Robert had had already checked in on Diane. The doctor had told him that she was responding well to treatment and should make a complete recovery. The only thing they still didn't know was the extent, if any, of possible memory loss. Now he watched through the glass partition as the doctors worked furiously on the little ten year old girl with the startlingly blue eyes.

He was leaning on a crutch that an orderly had given him a few moments ago when he became aware of a commotion in the large triage area. A woman was calling for Peter Alcott. Then the man he had seen operating the satellite phone pointed in his general direction and he heard the man tell the woman that they had taken Jennifer that way. Jennifer was the name he had heard them call the little girl. He raised his crutch above his head and waved it to attract her attention. "Over here." He called out. As she approached he recognized her as the same assistant DA, Cathy Chandler, who had helped him out a couple of times. They apparently had a common interest in helping people that the law couldn't help. She had even referred a couple of people to him in the past. In fact it was Cathy who had sent Diane to him.

"Sir." She gasped as she ran up to him. "Have you seen a little girl, blond about ten years old? She would have been brought in here in the last thirty minutes." She peered at him hopefully.

"If you're talking about Jennifer, Dr. Alcott is in there with her right now." He pointed at the glass partition. "I don't know how serious it is but the doctors here are very good."

Catherine stared through the glass into the ER, fear and worry plain in her posture and on her face. He remembered hearing that Cathy had a young daughter about ten years old and as he gazed at her he could clearly see a strong family resemblance between Catherine and the young girl that had helped rescue him. Except for those amazing blue eyes. Those could only have come from that monster. He remembered how the tabloids had speculated for weeks about who the father might be, but they never found out. The thought hit him like a ton of bricks. Cathy Chandler and that . . . creature . . . and that sweet young girl? Trying to wrap his mind around it made his head hurt. He gave up on that line of thought and put his effort into getting Cathy to a comfortable seat and keeping her company while she waited.

~ o ~

Chris looked down at Jacob as he sat there weeping. The poor boy was utterly miserable. Linda stepped forward and put her arms around Jacob and made the same kind of cooing noises that her mother often made when comforting her. Chris hadn't even seen her approach. Her brother was standing directly behind her. "With Linda and Larry's help, Chris moved Jacob to a corner away from the dust choked opening.

As he watched Linda trying to help comfort Jacob, it hit him. Yesterday **it** had been a frighteningly dangerous creature that had burst into their world. Yesterday having that creature, with his sharp claws and long fangs, anywhere near his daughter had sent cold chills down his spine. Today **he** was Jacob, a sad frightened little boy who was deeply wounded over the loss of his sister. Today Chris was hoping his daughter could bring him back from his current withdrawn state.

Phillip approached. "What's the situation, Chris?"

"The cave-in blocked off our fresh air source. We need to dig back along the foundation wall until we reach it." The two of them tied torn cloths across their faces and Chris grabbed the small folding shovel. Together they entered the tunnel and began scooping the loose dirt and rubble away.

"I'll be right back." Phillip remarked after a couple of minutes and ran back into the garage. Two minutes later he returned with the empty cooler. Soon they had a smooth system worked out.

Phillip started talking as they worked. "What about Jacob? He's curled up into a ball and crying his heart out in there and Linda is desperately trying to console him." He shook his head. "All I heard was something about Jen and dying."

"He said that his sister got caught in a cave-in where his father was digging." Chris answered. "Jacob sensed it . . . felt it . . . whatever it is he does." He paused to wipe the sweat and dust from his face. "He said he felt her dying." The thought made Chris go cold inside. "Anyway, I think she may have died and he felt it happen."

"Dear Lord!" Phillip shook his head. This was something completely outside his realm of understanding. He felt a shiver pass through him all the way down to his soul. To actually feel someone else's death. Especially someone you loved. "God, I hope he's wrong about his sister." For Phillip it was as much a prayer as a statement of a wish.

_**Continued in Part 8**_

* * *

_'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._

_V.12.04.15  
_


	8. The Recovery

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 8 : The Recovery**

Robert watched as Cathy Chandler stared into the ER where the doctors worked on her daughter. It had been nearly an hour since they had arrived and he had found that he really cared what happened to them both. As he sat there with Cathy his mind kept wandering back to the hazy image of that incredible creature that shared that child's eyes.

Catherine gazed at him for a moment quizzically. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

Robert realized that with his head and face half covered in bandages she hadn't recognized him. "Robert McCall. You helped me on a couple of my cases."

She looked momentarily puzzled, then recognition dawned. "I remember. You help people who are in trouble and can't get help from the police. Did Diane contact you?" She frowned. "But how do you know my daughter?"

"I didn't, until today. She was with the ones that pulled me from that trapped subway car." He smiled. "She's a remarkable young girl … but … nowhere near as remarkable as her father." He had been watching her face carefully as he said this. He saw surprise, fear, suspicion and wariness flash across her face in quick succession.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was shaking with suppressed emotion.

"You know. Big guy, very strong, very hairy, claws. No one could miss those incredible blue eyes that they share. I don't think I've ever seen eyes that shade before." He watched as she fought, to control, to hide. Finally she seemed to cave into herself resigned. Worry about Jennifer and Jacob and Vincent, left her little reserve for this kind of verbal sparing. He placed his hand on her forearm guessing what she must be thinking and feeling. "They saved my life, Cathy. I would never do anything to harm any of your family." He smiled reassuringly at her. "I would, however, like to meet him some day when this is all over and I'm a little less addled by concussion, just to prove to myself that I'm not crazy." They were interrupted by the clearing of a throat and looked up to see Peter standing there.

Peter looked tired and worried. "Cathy, Jennifer had a broken rib that punctured the lung." Catherine emitted a tiny exclamation as her hand came up to her mouth. Peter continued. "She's stable now and one of our best emergency trauma surgeons is working on her. We nearly lost her right after she came in, but she's a fighter and we got her back. She has a good chance at a full recovery, however it will take time and there is a significant chance of infection, especially with all that rock dust she inhaled. We are going to have to watch her very carefully for the next couple of weeks. Also we will have to avoid letting her come in contact with all that smoke and dust out there." He paused, scrubbing at his two day old beard. "She's got a strong constitution just like her father, she'll make it."

Robert looked back and forth between Catherine and Peter in surprise. This doctor knew about the creature?

Catherine sighed with relief. She had developed a great faith in her husband's genetics over the years. Then she saw Robert's reaction and sighed in resignation. "Yes, Peter knows about Vincent."

"Vincent … Is that its, ah, his name?" Robert asked. Peter simply stared at them both in surprise.

~ o ~

During the last hour Catherine's emotions had been all over the place like a rollercoaster, making it difficult for Vincent to concentrate. Then it smoothed out. She was still _concerned_ but the fear and sorrow were gone, to be replaced by a strong sense of _cautious relief_. The _worry_ was still there but not as strong as before. That could only mean that Jennifer was still alive and the outcome was hopeful. He tested his link to Jennifer. She was deeply unconscious, but she was there.

Vincent turned his attention to his link to Jacob and encountered a tight knot of _misery_ that blotted out everything else. Vincent suspected that Jennifer's condition had been a lot more serious than he had originally thought, if it had affected Jacob like that. Vincent tried to project feelings of relief and happiness to Jacob. He got no response. Jacob had completely cut himself off. He tried again, pushing harder, but he couldn't get through the wall of _misery_ Jacob had built up. This was not good.

~ o ~

Peter had just finished giving Catherine a complete rundown of Jennifer's condition. Catherine had gone quite pale when he told her that they had been required to revive her twice.

"How much longer will it take?" Catherine asked Peter. "When can I see her?"

"She's going to be in there for at least another hour or two. They need to pin the broken rib or she could puncture her lung again." He smiled reassuringly. "The worst part is over."

She blinked then stared into space for a moment. "Vincent needs me. I've got to go. You know how to get in touch if necessary." She stood up then paused staring back into the ER surgery. She didn't want to leave Jennifer.

Robert spoke up. "You go to Vincent. I'll watch over her for you. I owe both of them . . . But," He gave her a stern look with a hint of a smile. "I expect you to introduce me to Vincent when this is over."

"Thank you." There was relief in her eyes as she turned and walked briskly out. She had been acquainted with Robert somewhat for several years, even directed a few people that needed help to him, and felt that she could trust him.

Robert turned back to Dr. Alcott. "I suppose she's my charge for the time being. I do seem to be assuming responsibilities don't I. Take good care of them for me, doctor."

At that moment the man with the satellite phone, Robert now recognized as Elliot Burch, came up to them. "I just saw Cathy leave. How is Jennifer doing?"

"She's not completely out of the woods but she's stable and her chances are good." Peter responded.

Elliot seemed to relax. "She's Vincent's daughter. She'll pull through." He smiled. "I'd better let Vicky know right away or she'll kill me. Watch over her doc." He turned and walked away.

Robert watched Elliot walk away. Elliot Burch knew Vincent? He turned back to Peter. "Elliot Burch?"

Peter simply smiled and went back into the ER surgery.

~ o ~

Vincent met Catherine in the communal dining chamber. After a quick reunion hug and reassurances, Vincent told her about Jacob. Catherine told him what Peter had said about Jennifer's condition.

"That must be why he has withdrawn so far." Vincent nodded. "He felt her die." He took her hands. "We've got to break through to him." He put his arms around her. "If we try to project together, we might get through."

She nodded and staring into his eyes began to project emotions of _relief_ and _reassurance_ with every fiber of her being. Then she felt Vincent join in. It was so intense it took her breath away.

~ o ~

Victoria and her two friends, Cindy and Shannon were on the ferry from Cozumel over to Playa del Carmen on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Once there she planned to buy a car and drive all the way back to New York if necessary. Just as the ferry was pulling into port her cell-phone rang. It was from Elliot's satellite phone.

"Hello Elliot." . . .

"We just took the ferry over to Mexico. Having all flights to the US grounded is a real pain." . . .

"What?" . . .

"Oh my God! Is she going to be all right.". . .

"Thank goodness. What about Jacob." . . .

"That's good, I hope they get to him soon." . . .

"Yes, I know, lots of people want to use your phone." . . .

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll talk to you later. I Love You. Bye."

This was so sad. Vincent and his family seemed to be beset with multiple disasters over the last two days. She was more determined than ever to get home any way she could. Her friends were looking at her full of curiosity. They didn't know about Vincent and his unique family. "That was Elliot. Some friends of ours were hurt in the towers. He said that they were all going to be OK." That was all she could really tell them. "Now let's get a car and get home."

~ o ~

Jenny was working herself to a frazzle at the aid station when a messenger from below arrived with news that Jennifer was going to be OK. Suddenly her heart was lighter and she continued with renewed vigor.

There was a great deal of relief in the Wells-Chandler brownstone when they received the news.

In the tunnel dining chamber, Sharon almost smiled as she observed Vincent and Catherine's embrace, accompanied by the sound of the good news about Jennifer racing across the pipes. She was still trying to absorb the concept of Vincent being married with children. Now she was faced with the startling concept that he was married to someone like Catherine Chandler.

For a moment her grief had been partially lifted but as she continued thinking about what Catherine and Vincent had, it brought her own tragedy back and once again she was submerged in her own grief for her lost family.

~ o ~

Chris and Phillip returned to the garage. Digging through that rubble was hard work. Jacob must have phenomenal strength and endurance to dig as far and as fast as he had. Chris glanced over where Jacob was huddled against the wall. He had not moved in well over an hour and a half. Linda was kneeling beside him still trying to comfort him and Larry was still standing guard over both of them. Karen was also over with them. She had become fascinated by Jacob and had been spending a lot of time with him and Linda. Now that he thought about it Anna and Beverly had also shown an interest in him. With the exception of his daughter, they all seemed to want to mother him. To his daughter he was like a new best friend.

Linda felt so badly for her new friend and she didn't know what to do for him. She didn't know why, but about twenty minutes ago she had become convinced that everything would be all right but she had been unable to do anything for him.

Beverly came over and sat down next to them. "How's he doing?"

"He just sits." Linda shook her head. "Is his sister really dead?"

"All I know is what your father told me that Jacob said before he got like this." She shrugged. "I just don't know."

Suddenly Linda felt it as clear as a shout. A distinct feeling of _relief_ and _reassurance_ washed over her like a tide nearly overwhelming her and causing her to fall over backwards. As the emotions continued to wash over her she could detect two distinct presences within what she was feeling.

Beverly caught her as she toppled over. "Linda, are you OK?"

Linda looked up at her in wonder. "**She's OK!** Beverly, she's OK, and they're trying to tell him."

Beverly looked perplexed. "What? Who?"

Linda grabbed Jacob by both his shoulders and shook them. "**She's OK, Jacob**, They're telling you, she's OK!" she continued to shake him. "Jacob wake up! She's OK!."

From within the shell he had built to shut out the pain he was assaulted by another physical pain in his injured shoulder as he felt himself being shaken.

Then he heard the words.

Then the words had meaning that began to sink in.

Then almost involuntarily he let the tiniest crack form in the barrier he had erected and the emotions came flooding in. The _relief_ and _reassurance_ from his parents flowed through him with a power he had never felt before. Mixed in with it was a great _joy_ that was radiating from Linda. Cautiously he felt for his link to his sister and found it. She was alive. He gazed at Linda, amazement and wonder in his eyes that caused the _joy_ coming from her to increase dramatically. "**She's alive!**" He cried as he threw his arms around Linda. Then he and Linda were awash in his parent's _love_ as she threw her arms around him. He looked up at the others around him. "I could feel her! She's alive." He told them

Chris had observed this spectacle with open mouthed amazement. The joyous look on his daughters face was incredible. Then she looked up at him. "I felt it Daddy." She seemed to be totally overwhelmed by the experience. It was as though she had been transformed by it. "They were trying to tell him that she was OK and '**I' **felt it." There were tears in her eyes. "Then I felt their love for him." A hint of surprise swept across her face. "They knew I was here and they included me in that love." Then she was again just his little girl, Linda, staring wide eyed up at her father. "Wow!" She sighed.

Jacob was still awash in the projected feelings from his parents and a tremendous weight had been removed from his young soul. For a short time total silence reigned in their isolated refuge. Everyone had been witness to what had happened and were stunned by the emotional power of it. Finally Beverly spoke. "You know what they were thinking?"

It was Jacob that responded. "No, not thoughts, just emotions. They were projecting their emotions. Dad could always sense the emotions of others but mom was the one that figured out how to project emotions." Then his attention returned to Linda. "You felt Mom and Dad's projection?" He asked her in surprise.

She mutely nodded her head, still slightly dazed by the experience.

Jacob and Linda were soon immersed in discussing what it had felt like. When Jacob realized that Linda could still feel his emotions they began playing with what they were feeling. They were now just a couple of kids giddily babbling about an amazing new toy. Jacob was soon engrossed in teaching Jennifer how to project her emotions over the link they had apparently just formed. Beverly and Karen asked occasional questions about what they were saying, trying to understand the phenomenon the two children were exploring. Chris found himself feeling very much like an outsider gazing through a window into the world his daughter was eagerly exploring that he could never enter or understand.

_**Continued in Part 9**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	9. The Discovery

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 9 : The Discovery**

Catherine and Vincent gazed at each other in amazement. There had been another presence in there with their son. They had felt her . . . it was definitely a her . . . receiving their emotions. They had felt her break through to their son. They had felt her _joy_ at the message and her _joy_ at Jacob's emergence from his shell. Almost without thinking they had included her in the _love_ they had projected to Jacob and had felt both of their reactions to that love.

Catherine gazed up into Vincent's eyes. "Did that really happen?" She paused. "Did we really connect to that girl?"

"I felt it too." Vincent responded. "Our son is not alone in there. There is another child in there with him." He frowned. "I'm also fairly sure that, toward the end, I caught the echo of Jacob's awareness of several other presences as well."

"He's found a friend." Catherine stated. "Maybe it's about time you finished digging them out. I think I would like to meet this young girl that has formed such an attachment to my son." Catherine sighed. "And I think it's about time I got back above to check on Jennifer. I want to be there when she wakes up." Catherine cocked her head up at Vincent. "By the way one of the people you rescued from that subway saw you and Jennifer and made the connection between you and me and Jennifer." She cocked her head the other way. "It's all because of those damn incredibly beautiful blue eyes that you and our daughter share. He said that he wants to meet you when this thing is over." She stretched up and kissed him. "Just wanted to give you fair warning."

They each said a quiet, "I love you." Then they separated.

~ o ~

Air was still a critical factor and they all had to come back to earth and deal with it. They had no idea of the condition in the newly collapsed section of the tunnel so they would have to start working immediately.

Jacob looked at the wall of rubble. "We're cut off from the source of the fresh air." Chris remarked. "We've got to dig back to the other gap where the fresh air was coming from but it's been very slow going." Tunneling was not among his list of talents and he was hoping Jacob could help.

Jacob studied the ceiling a moment. "The ceiling against the foundation is still stable. The cave-in is in that area on the right. If we stay next to the foundation wall we should be able to get around the damaged part." He immediately started digging. Jacob knew he would have to move carefully to avoid another cave-in but time was limited so he had to work both quickly and carefully.

Chris on the other hand could only marvel at how quickly, competently and tirelessly this ten year old was excavating the collapsed area with just his clawed hands. Soon they had fallen into a rhythm. Jacob excavated the blockage, Phillip scooped the debris into the cooler, and Chris carried it to a far corner of the garage to dump it.

The collapsed area turned out to be relatively small and after about three hours they finally broke through. The original gap Jacob had been trapped in and most of the tunnel he had dug through before, had not collapsed. Now they had fresh air again.

~ o ~

Joe looked over at Sammy and noticed that she was shivering. He tried to put his arms around her to warm her up but she cried out from the pain of her burns. The pain pills Peter had given her were gone now. As he watched, the shivering got worse. Then he put a thick comforter over her but the shivering continued to worsen. He called out for Naomi.

Naomi came pelting upstairs. "What is it Uncle Joe?"

"It's Sammy! She can't stop shivering." He responded. "I need you to get a message to Peter."

"Right away." Naomi glanced at Sammy, worry plainly showing on her face, then she ran back down the stairs.

Joe was getting very worried as her shivering kept on getting worse. She also seemed unusually pale and he could see fear in her eyes.

Twenty minutes later Naomi came pelting back up the stairs carrying a bottle of Gatorade. "Dr. Peter said that it sounds like she is trying to go into shock. He said to get her feet up, keep her warm, and get her to drink as much Gatorade as she is willing to drink. He said that he would be here as soon as he can break free. He also said to call him . . . ah, send him a message if her pulse gets too low."

~ o ~

After a few minutes rest, Chris, Phillip, Danny, and Jacob had tried digging back at the point where the original collapse had occurred but they could make no headway because dirt and rubble kept shifting in as fast as they dug it out. They had no way to shore up the ceiling and they finally were forced to give up. Jacob assured them that his father was still slowly getting closer and they would soon be rescued.

~ o ~

Jacob, Linda, Larry, Beverly, Karen, Danny and Ed were over in a well lighted area playing the unique version of Uno that Jacob had taught them. One of the rule modifications was that you could play a Draw 2 on a Draw 2 and thereby pass it along to the next person. In one instance eight Draw 2's had been played in a row causing Danny to have to draw sixteen cards from the deck. The failure of the attempt to dig back towards the supposed rescuers had depressed everyone's spirits and the card game had helped to relieve the tension of waiting for rescue and generally improved moral.

Chris and Phillip had been sitting back watching the game and discussing what had happened to Jacob and Linda.

Phillip was remarking. "It sounds so much like something out of an old science fiction story." Phillip thought for a moment. "Do you believe what he says? Can he really feel them? Are they really coming for him?" There was doubt in Philip's voice.

Chris gazed at him speculatively for a while. "I don't know for sure." He shrugged. "But then look at him." He gestured in Jacob's direction. "He **looks** like he just walked out of an old science fiction story." He paused. "And I've noticed that he has an uncanny knack for knowing how we are feeling. He dug his way to us, in the opposite direction from where his father is supposed to be coming from, because he **sensed** we were here." He looked at Phillip. "What do you think?" Chris thought for a moment. "We all saw what happened with him and Linda. We both heard what she said about it and how it felt. I find it hard **not** to believe."

"I guess you've got a point." Phillip watched them for a while. "So does that mean that he is telepathic?" The thought of anyone reading his mind made him just a bit queasy.

"No. I don't think he knows what you think. At least I've seen no indication of it. But I am positive that he somehow senses our emotions." Chris thought about it. "When he talks about it, it's always in terms of presence or feelings . . . just like the way Linda described it." He paused then smiled. "I sure wouldn't want to try lying to him though."

They continued watching the game in silence for a while. Finally Phillip spoke. "Do you think there is any chance we will be able to remain in contact with him after this is over? He never has said where he lives."

"I certainly hope so. Both my kids have become very fond of him. For that matter so have I." Chris chuckled. "Actually he did say where he lived, though he might not realize it. If you remember he said his mother has a brownstone near Central Park. He told us that his home is five and a half miles from here in that direction." He pointed in the same approximate direction that Jacob had when telling them where his brother was. "Karen said the stories involve a wealthy woman, You'd have to be wealthy to own a place near Central Park." He chuckled. "I would very much like to meet the 'beautiful rich woman' that gave birth to him." Chris took a sip of the warm soda he was drinking. "I wonder what Sharon would make of him."

Phillip glanced up at the irregularly sloped ceiling of their prison. "I just hope they reach us before that breaks loose and comes down on us."

Chris followed his gaze. "I know what you mean. Jacob said that it looks fairly stable in here for now but it's a very precarious stability and he is worried what will happen when the people on the surface start shifting the weight above us. He thinks it won't take much to disturb the balance holding that up and bring it down. Hopefully we'll be long gone by the time that happens."

"I just hope he knows what he's talking about." Phillip added.

"You and me both." Chris responded, looking up at the irregular partially collapsed ceiling.

~ o ~

Joe was hovering over Sammy when Rosa showed up. She was carrying Father's old beat-up doctor's bag. "Father sent me to take care of Sammy 'til Peter can get here." She quickly gave Sammy a basic checkup. She made clucking noises at her pulse and blood pressure readings. She checked Sammy's bandages and then pinched the skin on her undamaged leg. She shook her head then glanced around the room. "Joe, you know that antique coat rack by the parlor fireplace?" Joe nodded. "I need you to bring it to me right now."

When Joe returned with the coat rack, she used it to hang a plasma bag and hooked Sammy up to an IV. Then she addressed Joe. "Sammy's blood pressure is too low and her skin is loosing some of its subtlety. She has become partially dehydrated and she is trying to go into shock. That's always a problem with serious burn patients. Keep her warm and keep giving her liquids. Broth or Gatorade are both good. Keep your eye on that IV." She checked it over. "I must send a message to Dr Peter." She jumped up and headed back down.

Joe had not talked to Rosa for several years and was amazed at how good her English had become. Her accent was barely noticeable. Then again when he had seen her two girls at last year's Halloween party they had no accent at all. She was a far cry from that frightened woman trying to protect her two babies from that monster of a husband, Catherine had told him about. He had taken great pleasure putting that corrupt cop away, even before he had learned about Rosa.

Five minutes later Rosa returned. "I asked Peter to bring some more of those gel pack burn bandages." She looked up at Joe. "Has she run out of those pain pills Dr. Peter gave her?" Joe nodded yes. Rosa nodded to herself. "And I suspect you have given her aspirin." Joe again nodded. Rosa nodded to herself again. "I thought so. The aspirin thins the blood and lowers blood pressure. That's not good for dehydrated burn victims." She patted the blankets into place. "I think she will be fine. I didn't see any signs of infection. It's still going to take a long time to fully recover from those burns but she will make it." She gave him her best stern stare. "No more aspirin." She admonished him. "When Doctor Peter gets here, he will probably bring something more appropriate for a burn victim."

~ o ~

Chris was startled by the sound of raised voices over in the corner that Malik had retreated to. It looked like he and Ed were coming dangerously close to blows. Everyone else had noticed as well. Shortly Ed and Malik were surrounded by the rest.

"You **did** know about this," Ed yelled.

Malik responded. "I did **not**. Would I be here if I did?"

"You're lying. I heard what you said." Ed retorted. "You said your nephew did this." He waved at the general destruction around them. His anger and frustration was obvious to everyone.

"I said I was afraid that he did this." Malik seemed to be pleading with all of them in general. "But I did not know before what he was up to."

"Liar!" Ed shouted. He tensed his arm, ready to strike.

"No! He's not lying." Everyone looked around in surprise to see Jacob coming forward. "He's telling the truth."

Ed rounded on Jacob, his rage barely affected. "How do you know?" He growled out at Jacob.

"Because, I can feel it." He replied.

Fearing that Ed might attack Jacob, Chris stepped in between them. He wasn't worried about Jacob. With his strength, dexterity and those potentially deadly claws he had no doubt that Jacob could defend himself. What worried him was how it might affect Jacob if he were to seriously harm Ed while defending himself. "Let's all calm down for a minute and figure this out." He turned towards Malik. "Malik, suppose you tell us what happened with your nephew."

Malik glared defiantly at those around him for a moment, then seemed to give in. "My nephew has always been difficult to manage. A few years ago he got involved with a very radical group. He went over to Afghanistan for a year. He just got back a month ago." Malik looked down. "I knew he was up to no good, but I never thought it was anything like this." He waved his hand at the broken garage.

Chris faced Jacob. "Was he telling the truth?"

Jacob nodded wide eyed. "Yes."

Chris stepped over next to Malik and faced the rest. Though his stomach roiled at the thought of what this man's nephew had done, he felt he had to do this. "That should settle it. The only thing Malik is guilty of is having a black sheep in the family." Chris was thinking as fast as he could. He needed to defuse this now and make it stick. "What was he to do? Tell the police that he thought his nephew was **up to something**? . . . Think about it. Even if the police arrested him, nothing would have changed. The radio said there were several terrorists on each plane. Losing one wouldn't have bothered their plans." He faced Ed. "He didn't know. He **still** doesn't know. He says that he **thinks** his nephew was involved." He put his hand on Ed's shoulder. "Don't you think we should wait until we know for sure if his nephew was really involved before we start throwing guilt around?" He could see that Ed was wavering. "Even if he was involved do you think Malik would have come in to work if he knew what was going to happen?"

Ed grumbled but caved in. As the tension eased everyone slowly returned to what ever they had been doing. At least Malik seemed to have come out of the funk he had been in since they had heard about the terrorists on the radio report.

_**Continued in Part 10**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	10. The Revelations

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 10 : The Revelations**

When Peter arrived at the Wells-Chandler residence, (or just Chandler residence to the world at large), he found Sammy laying on her stomach sleepless, Naomi hovering over her like a mother hen, Joe dozing fitfully in the chair next to her bed, and Rosa in the kitchen fixing an early dinner with Paul's attempted help. Charles, Elizabeth and the babies, (five years old might be a bit old to still be thought of as 'the babies'), were in the parlor watching a Disney video.

Peter examined Sammy under the watchful eyes of Joe and Rosa. He saw Joe cringing at the sight of the burns on Sammy's back, left shoulder and thigh. As much as it pained him to watch Peter treating and dressing those burns, Joe refused to leave Sammy's side or release his hold of her undamaged hand. Peter covered the burns with a new 'high tech' gauze netting that was supposed to replace burned off skin and promote the growth of new healthy skin in a shorter time. It was a brand new development that they had just gotten in last month for test trials. The initial reports on it were excellent and Peter decided that Sammy would be a perfect trial subject. She deserved every break he could give her and he could fix the paperwork later. Then he used the gel packs to cover the burn areas and keep them moist. Finally came the bandages. The entire procedure had been excruciating for Sammy but she had hung in there and Joe had gone through it with her, never letting go of her good hand.

Peter first praised Rosa. "That was good work Rosa. You did everything right and you knew when to ask for advice. You are an excellent medical assistant and with father's training you will turn into an excellent doctor for 'Below'."

He turned his attention to Sammy and Joe. "I won't sugar coat this. Burns are the most painful type of injury you can have and it takes the longest to heal. There is going to be scarring where you've been burned, there is nothing we can do about that, but that gauze I used is supposed to significantly reduce the severity of it. It should be much less noticeable than that road rash on the back of your arm. As for the pain, I have fairly effective pain killers but you would have to stay in the hospital to get them. Otherwise the best I can do is give you something that will take a bit of the edge off. You have to avoid anything that has blood thinners or diuretics in it. That means no aspirin, no caffeine and nothing that contains them."

"I would rather stay here." Sammy responded.

"I don't recommend it but if that is your wish." Peter reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of pills. "Take one of these if the pain gets too bad. But no more than four per day." He handed a large bag to Rosa. "You will need to change the dressing once a day, and keep an eye open for any sign of infection." He looked around. "That should about do it."

"How is Jennifer doing?" Naomi asked.

"She's doing good. It looks like she will be just fine." Peter replied.

After a quick exchange of news, Peter headed back to the hospital

~ o ~

Late in the afternoon Diana, Dennis and Jenny were relieved from their aid station by the next shift. They headed straight to the hospital where they found Catherine still watching over Jennifer. Robert was with Catherine, keeping her company while watching over Diane.

Catherine met them with a tired smile. "Jennifer is awake and doing very well."

Robert glanced at the other three people. "Do they know . . . ah?" He ended with a shrug.

Catherine nodded. "Yes, they know. Jenny was in our wedding." Jenny nodded. "Diana is married to Vincent's brother." Diana nodded. "And Dennis is that brother she's married to."

"Half brother actually." Dennis remarked as he held out his hand. "Same mother."

Robert took his hand. "Pleased to meet all of you. He noticed that Dennis had the same unique blue eyes." He turned to Catherine. "I'm sure you want to talk to your friends and I need to check on Diane."

A few minutes later Peter showed up.

~ o ~

Chris glanced at his watch. It was getting well into evening. Jacob had assured them that the rescue party was ahead of schedule and should be there before tomorrow evening. Chris had already noticed that Jacob usually made his estimates very conservative so he had no reason to doubt. That was good because their food supply was fairly limited.

At one point Chris saw Jacob get that faraway look on his face that he had come to recognize as a sign that he was sending or sensing something. Then his face lit up with a huge smile that clearly displayed his fangs. "Jacob what's up?" He asked.

"It's Jen. She's awake. She's letting me know that she's OK." His joy was infectious and Chris couldn't help but grin along with him.

"That's great." Linda chimed in. "I'm so happy for you." Then with a mischievous grin she tapped him on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it." And ran off giggling.

"Oh, yea." Jacob called and bounded after her.

Chris called out to them to stop that. Jacob responded immediately and a second later Linda also stopped. "It's way to dangerous to be running in here." Linda looked a bit rebellious then she glanced over at Jacob and then seemed to relax. The two of them went over to where Larry was sitting and after a while the three of them were occupied in some deep discussion.

Chris collected all of the empty water bottles and went up the tunnel to the broken water pipe to fill them. Fortunately the water was a slow trickle so it did not cause any problems with the stability of the tunnel. Unfortunately the water was a slow trickle so it took forever to fill the bottles.

Beverly was busy checking everybody's injuries. She had already replaced the makeshift splint Chris had originally rigged for Larry and made a sling to keep the arm close to his body. She changed all the bandages and used up all of the antibiotic she could dig out of the first aid kits.

Phillip and Ed were playing checkers using folded pieces of candy wrappers as playing pieces.

Karen and Danny were off in a corner in their own private world.

Anna, David and Malik were engaged in a game of standard Uno.

Chris was stacking the filled water bottles when he heard a familiar shriek from his daughter and looked over in that direction. What he saw was a lot of commotion as it appeared that Linda and Jacob were involved in a wrestling match. Then with a surprisingly lion like roar that startled everyone, Jacob heaved upward and threw her off. Fearing possible injury Chris rushed over as Linda jumped, laughing, back onto Jacob again trying to pin him down. Larry was standing nearby and actually smiling. It turned out that the whole donnybrook revolved around which of them was the most ticklish. It was declared a draw.

Later that evening everyone had settled down for the night. Chris, Beverly and Phillip were quietly talking about the day. "Do you believe that roar?" Phillip remarked. "It scared the willies out of me 'til I realized where it had come from." He shook his head.

Beverly nodded in amazement. "That little wrestling match got pretty energetic for a short while." She wiggled her fingers. "With his strength and those claws he could do serious damage yet she came out of it completely unharmed."

"I know what you mean." Chris responded. "He looks like he could be extremely dangerous but I find more and more that I have faith in his responsible attitude. Quite unlike your typical ten year old."

"Well Jacob is anything but a typical ten year old." Beverly remarked with a chuckle.

"It makes you wonder though just what it would take for him to resort to using those claws against someone." Phillip commented quietly.

Beverly and Chris both looked at Phillip, startled by his remark.

"From what I've seen and observed of him, he is extremely self conscious about how dangerous they are." Chris responded. "I don't think anything short of a direct all-out assault on him or his loved ones could bring him to actually use them as a weapon." He shook his head. "No I think that the safest place to be is next to Jacob. I would have no trouble leaving my children in his care."

Phillip seemed to be seriously considering Chris's words.

"I have to agree with Chris." Beverly added then yawned. "I'm beat. I think I'll turn in."

"Same here." Replied both men.

~ o ~

Vincent had been actively monitoring the links to his two children since they had been told that Jennifer would be OK. Except for a few minutes of tension a few hours ago, Jacob had been in good spirits and Jennifer was continuing to gain strength. As near as he could tell they had less than twenty yards of digging left to go. He called a halt when a dozen new volunteers showed up to relieve Vincent's crew. Wearily they headed back to the central tunnels for food and rest. Then he received the strangest sensation from Jacob. It had him completely baffled for nearly a minute. He finally realized what it was and started chuckling just as he entered the dining chamber.

Catherine was already there along with Jenny, Diana, Dennis and some bandaged older gentleman that he didn't know, though there was something vaguely familiar about him. The older man was staring at him. There was _amazement_ but the surprise and fear that he normally expected wasn't there.

Catherine looked at him, curiously. "And what is it that amuses you so?"

They embraced each other as he replied. "As near as I could tell someone was just trying to tickle Jacob."

Catherine laughed for the first time in two days. "I'll bet that would have been an interesting sight." She pulled his head downward and planted a gentle kiss on him. Then she shifted in his arms. "Darling, this is Robert. He's one of those you pulled out of that buried subway car this morning." She paused for a moment. "Robert had been watching over Jennifer for me while I was helping get through to Jacob and afterward kept me company while I watched over her. He told me he wanted to meet you to thank you and find out if he had been seeing things."

Robert held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you." When Vincent held out his clawed hand Robert took it without hesitation. "Thank you for your help."

A rather sad looking woman approached the little group. "Vincent it's good to see you again."

Vincent looked at her. "You've changed a lot since the last time I saw you, Sharon. I barely recognize you."

"Its been thirteen years since I was here and I wasn't here for very long. I'm surprised you recognized me at all."

Vincent's eyes narrowed as he searched back through his memory. "Sharon, the last I heard you left us to get married."

_Sorrow_ enveloped her like a cloud. "That was me." She looked up at Vincent, tears in her eyes. "My husband and children were in those buildings."

Jenny reached out to her. "Don't give up hope, They were still locating missing people half an hour ago when I came Below."

"That's hard to do." She turned away then looked over her shoulder. "It was good to see you again, Vincent." She headed out of the chamber.

Robert shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid her story is going to be far from unique after yesterday."

After a warm dinner and some conversation they all headed back up to the surface. Robert headed for his own apartment which was just a short distance from Jenny's apartment so he walked her home. Jenny's husband dragged in about an hour later. He had the entire New York office of the F.B.I working with Washington on the four hijacking cases. Vincent, Diana and Dennis went to the brownstone. Catherine returned to the hospital and spent the night in Jennifer's room.

~ o ~

Elliot was bone tired but satisfied as he made his way back to his office in Burch Tower. He had helped a lot of people today and eased the minds of many families. When he arrived he found a little over a dozen employees that had stayed behind because of the difficulty of getting out of Manhattan. He greeted them then went into his office.

He called Victoria and talked for a while before settling in for the night. He was fast asleep in less than a minute.

~ x x x x x ~

_**Continued in Part 11**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	11. The Breakthrough

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 11 : The Breakthrough**

Jacob wasn't immediately sure what had awakened him. Then he felt the _fear_. It was coming from Linda. He crawled over to where she was shifting restlessly in her sleep. Suddenly it was full blown _panic_ and she cried out as she sat up. Jacob put his arms around her and began rocking her while softly telling her., "Everything is OK. It was only a dream." He felt her _fear_ diminish rapidly as he held her but there was still a sort of residual _sadness_ that wouldn't go away.

Chris was awakened by his daughter's cry. He looked around bleary eyed and for a moment thought Jacob was attacking her. Then he realized that Jacob was holding and rocking her in exactly the same way he would when she was hurt or upset.

He saw Larry move over to sit down beside them as he got up and walked over to them. When he got closer he heard Jacob softly talking to her in soothing tones. As he crouched down next to them she looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Oh, Daddy, I dreamed we were all buried and I couldn't reach anyone."

Jacob looked up at him. "I felt her fear. It woke me up."

They sat there for a while and talked it out until Linda's sadness had fallen away and she was able to go back to sleep. Jacob and Larry both settled down near by and also went back to sleep.

As Chris lay there he thought about what had just happened. It seemed that even in his sleep, Jacob had sensed her nightmare and woken up. He had been the first to reach her and comfort her. He had known exactly what to say and how to ease her fear and sadness. Chris then thought about what had happened when Jacobs parents had tried to let him know about his sisters recovery. He knew that Jacob and Linda were becoming close friends and could feel each other's emotions, but now, after considering what had just happened, it seemed pretty clear that there was much more to the connection between them than he had guessed.

Chris wasn't quite sure how to take this new development or what, if anything, he could or should do about it. On the one hand how did he feel about someone else being so intimately linked to his daughter's mind. On the other hand at least they both really cared about each other. In a very short time they had become as close as Linda and Larry. He had noticed that Larry, despite being extremely protective of his sister, had also become close with Jacob. Finally he decided that the best course was to just keep watch and see how things developed between them. It occurred to him that this emotional link could become a very complicated problem, especially when they became teenagers.

One thing was for sure, when they finally got out of here he was going to have a lot of explaining to do when Sharon learned about Jacob. Again he found himself thinking about his wife and how much he missed her. He hoped she was all right. This had to be hard on her and she didn't have any family to lean on. At least he thought his mother would be there for her. His poor mother. This would surely be hard on her as well.

Finally he drifted off to sleep wondering what Sharon would think of Jacob when she got her first look at him. He suspected that that was going to be one very interesting day.

~ x x x x x ~

**September 14, 2001**

It had been a long night of digging after an even longer day of digging but Vincent knew he was so close. He had been unable to sleep and by midnight had ended up back at the dig site. He was very close and couldn't stop now. He had sent a message to Catherine at the hospital and he knew she was on her way. Vincent had sensed a short spurt of _fear_ and _worry_ from Jacob, but that was two hours ago. Vincent was pretty sure that the _fear_ had been from that other presence echoed through his son's mind. What it meant he didn't know. He suspected that Jacob had formed a bond with that other person, possibly because of when that person had intercepted the message they had sent to Jacob. Or maybe it was the other way around and the message had been intercepted because the bond had already been formed. Either way it was there now and they would have to deal with it. It looked like there were going to be some new helpers after tomorrow. He hoped they would turn out to be good trustworthy people.

Catherine arrived and Vincent stopped to embrace her then apologized for getting her so dirty.

She responded with a smile. "As a little girl I always loved playing in the dirt." She smacked him on the chest causing a cloud of dust to fly off him. "Now get back to work. I'm anxious to get my son back and meet his little friend."

Catherine couldn't just stand by and soon she was busy moving dirt with the rest of the crew. About thirty minutes later the left side of the wall of rubble in front of Vincent gave way and he found himself looking into a darkened tunnel. He felt a draft of relatively clean damp air coming from the new opening. On the far side of the opening was a concrete wall that was tilted towards him. He called back. "I've broken through."

Catherine rushed forward to join him. Cautiously they stepped through into the tunnel. A foot thick steel beam ran from the floor to the ceiling at a slight angle. The tunnel ran off to the left along the tilted concrete wall. Vincent could clearly see a glimmer of light about sixty odd feet away down the tunnel. He also caught the very faint odor of damp earth mixed with blood. He was also sure he could barely detect several presences.

Vincent turned to Catherine and the others. "I think we've found it. He's very close and I see a light ahead."

Catherine was getting very antsy. "Let's go get him."

Vincent held up his hand. "First let's brace this opening." While the bracing was being done he continued. "There are others in there with Jacob and they are asleep."

Once they had the opening secured they started down the tunnel towards the faint light. About halfway Vincent began to hang back. "Maybe I shouldn't go first. I don't want to frighten them."

Catherine placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him. "They have already met Jacob. I don't think you will be that big a surprise, dear." She took his hand and started forward. "I want to see my son."

The rest of the dig team had been chatting excitedly but quietly as they made their way forward. Vincent turned to the others. "They have heard us. They're waking up."

As he approached the source of the light he again considered hanging back. Then he thought about what Catherine had said. Whoever they were, they had already spent two days with Jacob and his general emotional state had been positive most of the time. He decided that reaching his son took precedence and, with Catherine's hand firmly clasped in his, he crouched way down and passed through the opening drawing her through behind him.

~ o ~

Chris stirred. Something had disturbed his sleep. He lay there listening. Voices. There were voices coming from the opening where Jacob had first appeared. Chris sat up and looked around. Everyone was present and accounted for. He checked his watch. It was half past four o'clock in the morning.

Again he heard the voices. They were here! They were finally here! Rescue had arrived!

Chris woke Phillip first. "The rescue party is here. I just heard them in the tunnel."

Phillip stared bleary eyed up at him. "They're here? You're sure?"

"I just heard them talking. They should get here any second. Wake the rest." Chris then went over to where the children were sleeping. Gently he shook Jacob.

Jacob looked up sleepily. "Time to get up?"

"Someone's coming." He told him. "I think rescue has arrived."

Jacob closed his eyes for a moment then they flew open wide. "They're here!" He immediately rolled over and woke Linda. "Linda, Mom and Dad are here."

Chris looked over at the opening to see a faint light growing brighter beyond it. He stood up and approached to within ten feet of it ready to greet whoever came through. He glanced quickly around. The rest of the people were slowly rousing from their sleep. Jacob's father was coming. He tried to prepare himself for what he might see. He didn't want to embarrass himself or his daughter and Jacob.

Then the hole was blocked as someone huge pushed his way through, drawing a woman through behind him. Less than six feet in front of him the new arrival stood up straight.

Chris looked up . . . and up . . . and up . . . He was huge, six and a half feet tall, very powerfully built and he moved with a cat like grace that belied his great mass. There was no doubt about paternity. If not for the example of Jacob's good-natured personality as witness to his parents, Chris might have been frightened to death of this apparition. Instead he was simply amazed. What amazed Chris almost as much as the incredible reality of Jacob's father, was his recognition of Jacob's mother, the shared eyes and hair color left no doubt about the relationship. One look and he knew her. He had seen her picture several times in the newspapers. He had also been a juror once on a case that she had prosecuted about six years ago.

With her hand firmly griped in his, Jacob drew Linda over to his parents. Larry had trailed protectively behind them. "Mon, Dad, this is Linda and her brother Larry." There was pride in his voice, both for his parents and for his new friends.

Linda stared up open mouthed at Jacob's father. He was gigantic.

Then Vincent squatted down until he was nearly at her level. "You must be Jacob's new friend we encountered." His deep voice resonated with pure raw masculine power while at the same time projecting a gentle manor. He gave her his usual half smile that didn't show his fangs. "I wanted to thank you for helping us get through to him when we were trying to let him know that his sister was all right."

If there had been any doubts remaining about Jacob's mental connection to them, Vincent's words had just effectively blown them away. Then Jacob was in his parent's arms. There was laughing and crying with joy. Linda even became a part of the reunion. Soon Chris and Larry were also dragged into the family reunion.

Karen came forward, dragging Danny with her, right up to them and stared up at Vincent. "You **are** real. The stories were true." She reached out to touch Vincent. "My parents used to tell me stories about you when I was little."

"Who were your parents?" Vincent asked.

"Lee and Melanie." She responded. Remembering those stories, she knew that in Vincent's world they rarely used last names.

Vincent gazed closely at her as he tried to think back. Then it hit him. "I remember them. You're their daughter?"

Catherine spoke up. "I don't recognize the names."

"They were way before your time." He chuckled. "Remember when I told you what a disaster my one and only attempt at baking had been, bread dough all through my fur?"

Catherine laughed. "I still laugh every time I think about it."

"It was Melanie who instigated that episode. Once the problem had become obvious, she got playful. I ended up with a lot more dough in my fur than there should have been." Vincent smiled at the memory. "It was shortly after that she married Lee. They left the tunnels and moved to California to make their way in the world as song writers." He pulled Catherine close. "You remember that piece of sheet music we were given for our wedding? They played it as you came down the stairs. It was written by them."

Catherine looked at Karen surprised. "Your parents wrote that lovely little song?" Her eyes glazed over as she remembered that moment in her wedding.

By now the rest of the survivors were beginning to approach the group as the rest of the digging crew entered the ruined garage. Every one was awed by the appearance of Vincent but there was a total absence of fear. They all had a good idea what to expect though his sheer size surprised many of them.

Vincent raised his hands and everyone became quiet. "I'm sure all of you wish to get out of here as soon as possible so gather up anything you wish to take with you and we will lead you out."

It took a nearly a half hour to get everyone organized for the trip out and another four hours to make the hike back to the home tunnels. Beverly had done an excellent job taking care of their injuries and there were no injuries that needed immediate attention so Vincent had decided to take them straight to the dining chamber first so that they could get hot food and drink. Afterwards he would lead them to Saint Vincent Hospital where they could get checked out and contact their families.

~ o ~

Chris was discussing with Vincent the requirements around introducing his wife to the tunnel community. This seemed to be necessary if Jacob and Linda were to remain in touch. The tunnel opened into a fairly large chamber full of people and mismatched tables. "**Mommy!**" Linda cried out. "**Mom!**" Larry called a half second later. Chris looked around startled. There she was, standing on the other side of the dining chamber looking just as surprised as he felt. "**Sharon!**"/"**Chris!**" They called to each other simultaneously. They all rushed towards the middle of the room. All conversation stopped as everyone in the chamber witnessed the joyously tearful reunion. They all knew Sharon's story by now so they understood what was happening.

After a few minutes Vincent, Catherine and Jacob approached the happy group. Linda ran over, grabbed Jacob's hand and dragged him over. "Mommy, this is Jacob. He was the one that found us."

Sharon smiled down at Jacob. "I'm so glad to meet you, Jacob" She looked up at Vincent. "He's the spitting image of you, Vincent." She smiled at all of them. "You have a beautiful family." She put her arms around Chris and her children. "And thank you for bringing my family back to me."

By now the new arrivals were beginning to mingle with the tunnel residents and were shown the breakfast buffet that had been set up along the back wall. William had begun preparing it as soon as he heard that the rescue party was returning with several new people. As he held on to Sharon, in the back of his mind Chris was wondering how in the world she had ended up down here but he was too happy at the moment to care.

Father and elder Jennifer entered hand in hand. He smiled at the newly reunited family. "Sharon, is this your family?" He looked at Larry. "Is **this** Lawrence? He's grown into such a fine young man."

Chris glanced in surprise at Father then at Sharon. "I take it you already knew about this place?" He raised one eyebrow. Larry was also staring at his mother and the two other people in surprise.

She touched her husband's cheek. "I was a young pregnant teenager living on the streets; frightened and alone. Vincent found me hiding in a drainage culvert near one of the entrances to this place. They took me in. They cared for me and showed me a better way to live. Larry was born down here and these people watched over him while helping me get a new start Above. Then I met you and began a wonderful new life with you." She looked around. "We were not supposed to bring outsiders down here without getting council approval. I never thought I would ever see this place again so I never told you about it."

Chris gave her a little hug. "So how did you end up here today?"

She glanced down shyly. "I was in the park, near the entrance where Vincent first found me, when the towers fell." She looked over at Father. "I ran here without thinking. I thought I had just lost all of you. To me this represented a place of refuge, of healing." She looked at Vincent. "I needed that, just like I needed it fifteen years ago."

A stricken look crossed her face. "Your mother. I was talking with your mother when the towers fell and I lost contact." Sharon was pale. "She thinks you're all dead and God knows what she thinks happened to me."

Catherine spoke up. "No problem. Elliot has set up his satellite phone in Saint Vincent Hospital. As soon as you've all had a good meal and rested, we'll go up and you can call her."

Father chimed in. "I will arrange guest chambers down here for your family. You're welcome to stay with us at least until things get close to normal Above. It will give the children more time together."

Seeing the relieved look on Sharon's face, Chris accepted the invitation. The kids cheered then Jacob led them over to the buffet. Father led the rest over at a more sedate pace. This early meal quickly turned into a minor celebration of survival as many new friendships were forged.

A short time later Vincent and Catherine led the survivors up to Saint Vincent. Father took Jacob off to the tunnel infirmary where he checked him over and gave his injuries a more complete treatment.

_**Continued in Part 12**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	12. The Aftermath

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

_**Note:** I have always felt like the end of this story was missing something. This new chapter, hopefully, will fill in that little something that I felt it needed.  
_

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**Chapter 12 : The Aftermath**

Chris glanced around at the organized chaos of the hospital waiting room. After three days and nights spent trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center Towers, the crowded waiting room seemed downright spacious. The influx of injured from the collapsed towers had slacked off significantly but the Saint Vincent Hospital waiting room was still seriously overcrowded. Chris quickly turned his attention from the surrounding chaos as the group approached Elliot and his satellite phone. Being the only working phone in the area meant that it was in high demand and there were several other people, including those that had been trapped with Chris and his children, waiting for their turn to call out and let their loved ones know that they were alive.

The others of his group insisted that Chris go first on the satellite phone. Chris dialed his mother's number.

"Hello Mom, it's me Chris." . . .

"Mom? . . . Mom . . . Mom! . . . I'm fine, Mom, the kids are fine." . . .

"Yes, Mom, Sharon and the kids are right here with me." . . .

He turned to the rest of his family. "She wants to talk to all of you."

He handed the phone to his wife who tearfully spoke to her mother-in-law. "Gloria, it's a miracle. They were trapped under the rubble but some people found and rescued them." . . .

"They're fine. Larry got a broken arm but other than that it's just a few bruises and scrapes." She glanced over at her son. "Larry wants to say hi." She held the phone out to Lawrence, her eldest. "You're next."

Lawrence took the phone.

"Hello Grandma, I'm doing fine." . . .

"Uh huh, I broke my arm when the building collapsed but dad fixed it. The doctor said that Dad did a perfect job of setting the bone." . . .

"Yes I am. He was great, you would have been so proud of him, Grandma. Dad took control and helped us all survive until they rescued us." . . .

"OK." He handed the phone to his sister. "Here, Linda."

Linda took the phone.

"Hi, Grandma." . . .

"It was really crazy. The day after the building fell a boy my age got trapped near where we were and dug his way to us and early this morning that boy's father dug all the way down to us and got us all out." . . .

"All I got was a little bit skinned up and some bruises but I'm just fine. Larry was hurt worse than me." . . .

"OK, Grandma. Love you." . . .

She handed the phone back to her father.

"Yes, Mom." . . .

"Like they told you, we got trapped in the lower garage level when the buildings collapsed. It was very scary for a while but some new friends found us and dug us out." . . .

"I got a couple of deep cuts but they weren't that serious. Larry's broken arm is the worst injury we got and the doctor said that it is going to heal just fine." . . .

"I don't know. It's nearly impossible to get out of Manhattan right now but the friends who rescued us are putting us up 'til the crisis is over. There is no phone service here so I'm using someone's satellite phone to call you and there are many others waiting to call their relatives so we can't talk long. I just wanted you to know that we are all OK." . . .

"Love you too Mom. I'll try to call you again in a day or two. Bye."

Chris handed the phone back to Elliot, who handed it to Phillip, the next person in line.

"I have to go check on Jennifer." Catherine told them.

Linda jumped in. "Can I go up and see her too?"

Chris responded. "If it's alright with you, I would very much like to meet her as well. We all heard that she had been injured while helping to dig us out."

Catherine paused a moment then nodded. "I suppose it will be OK."

While the rest of the group took their turns on the satellite phone Catherine went up to see her daughter. Chris and his family went up with her. After a short discussion with the nurse that was running the recovery ward, they all went over to the bedside of a little girl that was same age as Linda. She looked so small and helpless with all the monitoring equipment and the IV tube connected to her. Catherine gently reached out and caressed the child's forehead.

She opened her eyes. "Mother?"

"I'm here baby. I just wanted to check in on you before I took our guests to the house." Catherine smiled at her daughter. "I'll be right back as soon as I get them settled."

"What about Jake and his friend?" She asked. Catherine drew Chris and his family to her daughter's bedside and introduced them to her. Jennifer looked at Linda. "Your Jake's new friend?" Linda nodded her head. Jennifer half smiled at her. "Glad to meet you." Then she looked up at her mother. "Jake's Below waiting for you."

"I know dear, so is your father. I'll be back soon."

Catherine turned towards Chris and Sharon then they all noticed that Linda and Jennifer were both staring intently at each other. After a couple of seconds both girls shrugged and smiled at each other. Then they both giggled.

Jennifer's giggle turned into a cough and a groan as her face screwed up in a momentary look of pain. "Hurts to laugh." Then Jennifer's smile returned a bit tentatively. "See you later." She remarked to Linda.

"Hope so." Linda touched Jennifer's forearm. "You take care of yourself and get better. Jacob really worries about you." Jennifer smiled back as Linda gave Jennifer's forearm a quick gentle squeeze then turned towards the rest.

Jennifer shifted her eyes to Catherine. "Bye mother, see you later."

"I'll be back soon honey." Catherine then indicated the door. "Let's head home." She led them back to the elevator.

As they were riding down in the elevator Sharon asked Linda. "What was that all about between you and Jennifer?"

Linda giggled again. "Jennifer and I were teasing Jacob."

Sharon and Chris looked at Linda puzzled as Sharon asked. "Teasing Jacob?"

"We were both sending silly feelings at him at the same time." Linda replied with a big smile

"What?" Sharon asked more puzzled. She looked up and saw comprehension dawning on Chris and Catherine's faces. Catherine also looked somewhat surprised by this revelation. She noticed that even Larry nodded his head in understanding. "Chris what does she mean." Sharon asked, with a puzzled frown.

Chris looked at his wife a bit sheepishly. In all the excitement he hadn't told her about the link. He glanced down at his daughter then back at his wife. "You remember how I told you that Linda and Jacob bonded while we were together in the collapsed garage?" Sharon nodded uncertainly. "That was more than just a figure of speech. Linda and Jacob have somehow become linked mentally. They can feel each other's emotions." He glanced momentarily at Catherine. "I don't really understand it. I just know that it's real." He shrugged looking helplessly at Catherine.

Catherine jumped in. "Jacob, like his father and his brother, can sense the emotions of those near him." She looked down at Linda. "You can feel him even now?" Linda nodded back. Catherine raised her eyebrows a bit then looked up at Linda's parents. "Normally they can only sense those that are in the same room with them though they can sense particularly strong emotions from a little bit further away. That's how Jacob found those trapped in the garage. Vincent and I have a permanent link or bond between us. He can feel my emotions and I can feel his at any time no matter how far apart we are. Vincent also has links of varying strengths with all five of our natural children." She paused. "We don't really know what causes this bond. It just is." She glanced down at Linda again and gently touched her cheek. "Apparently such a link has formed between Linda and Jacob."

Sharon looked down at her daughter, her eyes wide in surprise and concern. "You, mean he always knows what she's thinking?"

"No Mom." Linda spoke up. "We only know what the other is feeling." She looked up into her mother's worried eyes. "And Jacob taught me how to block it when I want to. And most of the time I hardly notice what he's feeling."

Catherine smiled. "Most of the time Vincent and I perceive the other's emotions as a barely perceptible background noise, like a radio turned down 'til you can barely hear it. It's there but you are hardly aware of it, unless it goes away entirely or is turned up much louder."

"Yea, most of the time, I don't even notice it. Unless I start thinking about him or he is thinking about me, like right now." Linda added.

"He's thinking about you now?" Catherine asked.

She nodded. "Uh huh, he's kinda . . . anxious. I think he wants to know about what happened with Jennifer and me."

The Elevator door opened. They went over and joined the rest of their group. Five minutes later the last of their group had all had their chance at the phone and they left the crowded chaotic waiting area. They went down into the tunnels where they were met by Vincent and Jacob.

"You and Jen are mean." Jacob accused as soon as they met.

"Well that's what you get for listening in on us." Linda shot back.

"I just wanted to be sure that Jen was OK with you." He replied a bit plaintively.

"We got along fine. We didn't talk much but I think she's nice." Linda responded as she punched him playfully in the undamaged shoulder. "You worry too much."

The adults observed this little exchange with amusement. Sharon was amazed by it.

Vincent led them all down to the main home tunnels. Along the way they talked more about the nature of the link between Linda and Jacob. Sharon was still a little unsure how she felt about it. They stopped at the community library Below for a while to let everyone know how Jennifer was doing. Then those of the group of survivors that lived in the Manhattan area were escorted to the tunnel accesses closest to their homes by members of the tunnel community. They were each given instructions on how to contact their new friends in the tunnel community.

A short time later Chris, his family and about half of the survivors, who could not easily get back to their homes, were left milling around in the subterranean library wondering what they should do. Vincent and Catherine invited them to go back to their home where they were welcome to stay until things had settled down enough for them to get back to their own homes. Chris and Sharon were also invited to spend the rest of the day with them. Catherine headed back to the hospital while Vincent and Jacob led the rest to their home.

After traveling a complicated path through various types of tunnels, the group came to a narrow set of dimly lit walled-in stairs that led upward. They passed two apparent landings then came to stop on the third landing. Vincent reached out and pushed causing a large rectangular section of the wall to swing outward letting in brighter light.

As they stepped through the opening they found themselves standing in a large understatedly elegant parlor. The section of wall swung closed and Chris looked back to see an impressively wood paneled wall and a large entertainment center but there was no sign of the doorway that they had just passed through.

Vincent faced the group and spoke. "Welcome to our home. You are all welcome to stay here until arrangements can be made to get you back to your own homes."

Jacob grabbed Linda's hand. "Come on." Then he led Linda and Larry through the adjacent open dining room and into the kitchen to grab some snacks.

Chris, Sharon and the rest of the new guests gazed around in undisguised admiration. Toward the front of the place was a beautifully carved front door flanked by two lovely narrow stained glass windows. To the right of the doorway stood a large stone fireplace. The rear of the parlor was dominated by a beautiful wood and iron spiral staircase. The room was furnished in fine antique Stickly furniture. Jacob, Linda and Larry came back out of the kitchen carrying hands full of snacks and Jacob led them up the spiral stairs.

A few seconds later a younger eight year old version of Jacob and Vincent came pelting down the stairs and paused staring at the room full of strangers who were all staring in surprise back at him. Vincent went over to the staircase and picked up the stunned leonine child. He gave the child a kiss on the cheek then faced the group.

"Charles, these people are all new friends of ours." Vincent shifted the child slightly. "Let me introduce all of you to our youngest son, Charles." Everyone gathered around to get a better look at the youngest leonine child and greet him. They were all fascinated by him. Several of them reached out to touch him.

At this point a pair of five year old girls came down the stairs accompanied by a very pretty teenage girl. Vincent glanced up and beckoned for them to come down and join them. "This is our eldest daughter Naomi and our youngest twin daughters, Brigit and Nancy. Girls, Say 'hello' to some new friends."

A few shy greetings were exchanged and Sharon again commented on what a lovely family Vincent had and how very happy she was for him.

After a few minutes Vincent set Charles down and gave him a gentle nudge up the stairs. "You children go on up and join your brother and his new friends."

Shortly after the children had disappeared up the stairs Joe and Sammy came down the stairs to see who had come in. They were both surprised at all of the strangers that stood in the parlor. Vincent introduced Joe and Sammy to the rest of the group. They were all very surprised to learn that the District Attorney of New York was in the know about Vincent, his family and the tunnels. Until then it had not really registered with most of them that Catherine was an ADA and the possible ramifications of that fact. A half hour later Diana and Dennis arrived by way of the hidden basement doorway and were also introduced to the group.

By now it was lunch time and Vincent fixed sandwiches and drinks for everyone. They settled down and spent the rest of the afternoon exchanging stories about their various experiences over the last four days.

That evening around dinner time, Catherine returned to the Brownstone with Jenny and Elliot in tow. Again the new guests were surprised that someone like Elliot Burch was familiar with Vincent and his family. Then Elliot commented that Vincent had stolen Catherine from him. That led to the story of Elliot's short lived attempt to romance Catherine and how Vincent had unintentionally introduced Elliot to his wife, fashion model Victoria Hansen. The new friends were also surprised to learn that the head of the New York office of the FBI knew about Vincent's family as wellas being married to Jenny.

Late that evening Elliot, Jenny, Dennis and Diana left the brownstone for their own homes. Vincent led Chris and Sharon back down to the chamber that Father had prepared for them. Linda stayed above and slept in Jennifer's room while Larry shared Charles and Jacob's room. Though a bit crowded, room was found for everyone that was going to be spending the night in the brownstone.

~ x x x x x ~

Over the next few weeks things slowly got back to some approximation of normal as work began on clearing the rubble at the site of 'Ground Zero'. Chris and Sharon actually enjoyed the time they spent together in their subterranean guest chamber and were a little sad to leave it behind when they were finally able to get back to their own home. The guests of Catherine and Vincent were also soon able to make their way home with many bittersweet goodbyes and some very close new friendships.

Some rather unusual stories from a few of the people that had been rescued from the buried subway car began to circulate leading to the rise of a few new urban legends. Chris and those survivors from his office were the only ones left from that company and, like so many other survivors from the towers, were soon having to find other employment while trying to piece their shattered lives back together.

Chris and Sharon, with the help of Catherine did everything they could to help the family of their deceased friend, George. With their help, George's widow and children eventually moved to Virginia where she had other family. Chris and Phillip decided to start their own investment company. Their first two official customers were Catherine Chandler and The Wells-Chandler Foundation.

_**Continued in Part 13**_

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'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	13. The Epilogue

**And The Towers Fell Down  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

_**Note:** Only a minor change has been made to this chapter. The new one is chapter 12, the one before this chapter.  
_

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**Chapter 13 : The Epilog**

In the weeks after the 9/11 attacks several new urban legends sprang up in relation to that event. The reporter Thomas Johnson wrote an article that he titled 'Legends Of The Fall'. He mentioned the tale of the people on the lost subway car 503 that had been dug out and rescued by a group of the homeless that were said to live in the steam and utility tunnels of New York. Some versions of that tale claimed that those homeless rescuers had been led by the Creature of Central Park. Another tale had a group of a dozen people trapped somewhere in the bowls of the towers and being rescued days later by the same group of homeless led by the Creature.

One of the great mysteries of the event was the collapsed cavity that was eventually found at the bottom of the ground zero rubble that showed definite signs of a short period of occupancy. That discovery gave new impetus to those particular urban legends.

~ x x x x x ~

Vincent looked around the great hall. It was just a little over three months since the World Trade Center disaster. They were celebrating survival as well as everything else. Every one rescued from the lower level garage was there except Malik. He had chosen to stay below out of shame over what his nephew had done and he had remained in his chamber, maintaining that he had nothing to celebrate. For Catherine and Vincent it had been a real treat watching all these new friends' reactions to the Winterfest opening ceremony. Father and Vincent had added two new lines about helping others when they were beset by those few that harbored evil intent. It had added a special poignant air to the ceremony. Beverly and Anna had been particularly moved to tears by it.

The way they all stared around wide eyed at the great hall in all its glory had been fun to watch as well. Phillip had brought his wife, Becky, and seventeen year old daughter, Christine, into the secret the first week after the rescue. Christine and Naomi had quickly become good friends and were currently sitting together at the far end of the central table discussing boys. Anna had sent her children to spend the night with her sister on the pretense that she wanted an evening alone with her husband. Only Curtis, her husband, had been introduced to the tunnels a month after the rescue. David's children were all grown and out on their own and knew nothing of the tunnels. He had told his wife, Nicole, but this was the first time she had seen the tunnels and Vincent for herself. Vincent had several times noticed her staring at him.

There had also been loss. At the main table were four empty chairs. Kipper and Derrick had both been working as apprentices in a brokerage that had been located above the impact area in the north tower. Bryan had been a rookie with the New York police department and had been inside the south tower when it collapsed. According to the police citation he had rescued twenty three people before he fell. Geoffrey was still in St. Vincent with burns over half of his body. He had been working as a paramedic with the first fire brigade to arrive on the scene that day and had been splashed by burning jet fuel while rescuing several people from the stricken area of the north tower. The ambulance carrying him had just departed for the hospital when the first tower collapsed. According to reports, he had been responsible for saving over fifty people before he was injured. After the opening ceremony Vincent had stood and said a few words for the fallen and injured followed by a moment of silence before the food was served.

Robert McCall had also come. He reported that Diane was fully recovered and doing fine. There had been some minimal memory loss but nothing serious. The problem she had come to him for help on had disappeared in the collapse of the towers. When Robert had encountered FBI agent James McClendon in the great chamber, the reaction of both of them had been almost comical. They had encountered each other a few times professionally, often as adversaries, or at least competitors over jurisdictional turf. Jenny had found her husband's reaction very amusing. Robert was amazed James had found a woman that would put up with him, much less one as beautiful as Jenny.

~ o ~

Later after the meal, Vincent noticed that Robert had shared several dances with Mary through out the night, and smiled. Mary had enjoyed all the attention.

Chris and Sharon were out on the dance floor where they made a beautiful couple. Chris, Sharon and their children were planning to stay overnight Below. Catherine had arranged for Chris and Sharon to have the chamber she thought of as the honeymoon suite for the next two nights while the children stayed in other guest chambers. Vincent had even gone over about an hour ago and fixed up the honeymoon chamber for them in his own inimitable way. They would be in for a very pleasant surprise when they saw it later tonight.

Danny and Karen were also dancing together though they were restricted to the slow dances by their healing injuries. They had added spice to the evening by announcing their engagement. Karen's Parents were also present. They had come all the way from California at Karen and Catherine's joint invitation.

Father and elder Jennifer were arm in arm over by the stage watching over the proceedings. The surprise on Sharon's face when she learned three months ago that Elder Jennifer was Vincent's biological mother had been most interesting. Her emotions when she had read the eight diary pages that had led them to his mother had been very profound.

On the other side of the hall Elliot and Victoria were thoroughly engrossed in each other. It had taken her five days to make her way back to New York after the attack. In many ways they reminded Vincent of Catherine and himself. Their son Brandon was, as usual, over with Jacob and the rest of the kids.

Naomi was chasing after Charles, to put him to bed, assuming she could catch him. He was pretty quick but she did have two rather attentive teenage boys and Christine willing to help her.

Peter had even brought some good news. There was a new allergy relief medication being tested and if it panned out then Joe and Sammy might just be able to attend next years Winterfest. Joe had never been to Winterfest because he refused to come without Sammy. Peter also related the speculation that had developed over who had been responsible for the buried subway car rescue. Robert reported that one of the other subway survivors swears he was freed from under two seats by the Creature of Central Park. It looked like that old urban legend was making a comeback.

Jacob, Jennifer, Linda and Larry were in a tight little knot over among the games. Those four had become so close that Linda and Larry had spent three weekends at the brownstone in the last three months. The link between Jacob and Linda showed no signs of disappearing. Sometimes Larry would get a little jealous of it but since he really liked Jacob he usually didn't mind. Also Larry had discovered that being born in the tunnels carried a special cachet all it's own. The only down side to the link was that Hide and Seek was not a practical game for them. Elliot's son Brandon and Nancy's two kids were also included in that group. When those seven ended up all together it was a fair bet that there was mischief in the wind.

Vincent looked down at Catherine enfolded in his arms and smiled. She was also watching the crowd and feeling happy. All in all things had turned out OK.

~ x x x x x ~

Catherine looked around the great hall. This was the twelfth Winterfest since the destruction of the World Trade Center towers. Most of the people they had rescued from the lower level garage that day were here. There were a few absences that made her momentarily sad. Ed had passed away of old age. Cullen had also passed away nearly five years ago and she missed his crusty slightly disreputable demeanor. Mary had also passed away the same year as Cullen and Catherine missed her gentle caring nature as well.

Poor Malik had been so traumatized by his nephews part in that attack that he had refused to return Above for over a year. Finally he had returned and began a one man campaign against the terrorist groups responsible. He had gone all around the country and eventually the world giving lectures about the dangers of such evil groups. Then three years ago he was kidnapped in Afghanistan and killed by those same fanatics. His death had done even more to galvanize the world against the fanatics than his speeches had and his book on the subject was one of the top sellers at Jenny's publishing company. Catherine still missed him and the many philosophical discussions she and Vincent had engaged in with him.

Geoffrey was also absent but that was only because he was in the middle of finals at medical school. Next month, after graduation, he was to begin his residency at St. Vincent Hospital.

But now was a time of celebration in more ways than one. Father was still alive and still at his customary place at the head of the table and Vincent's mother sat to his right. . Though he had just turned eighty and had recently become semi-retired, he was still active and now served as resident sage for the tunnel community. Elder Jennifer was the grand dame of Below, mother to all. A title she had inherited from Mary. Vincent was now head of the council and unofficial leader of the community. Rosa had gone to college and gotten her medical degree. She had taken over as the community doctor. Peter Alcott had retired but was still kicking and his daughter had taken over her father's position at St. Vincent Hospital. She and Beverly were the community's primary medical supply sources.

Across the table from Catherine sat Joe and Sammy. Her burns had healed up nicely and the scars were barely visible. This was the ninth Winterfest she had been able to attend since that new medicine had been released for use. She still could only come Below for special occasions but that was enough to make her content. Fortunately her daughter Elizabeth did not appear to have inherited her allergies.

Sharon was sitting next to Catherine and Vincent. The blank chair next to Sharon was reserved for her husband who was currently occupied elsewhere. The next chair was occupied by Beverly. She had spent the last eight years working for the New York Fire Department as a paramedic. Further down the table Charles and Elizabeth were busy looking moon eyed at each other. She was going to have to keep an eye on those two.

Naomi was seated with Jenny and James. She had just been promoted to the New York branch of the FBI Government Corruption Department. James was now top man in the New York FBI office and Jenny was still working for the same publishing company she always had. Now she was head of the editing department.

Diana and Dennis sat next to Naomi. They had just learned the week before that their son Paul had been accepted to Texas A&M on a football scholarship starting next fall. He had already made it through his first semester at the local community college with a 4.0 average and was aiming for a degree in Biochemistry. Everyone was wondering just how that one was going to work out.

The opening ceremonies were now complete but this time they didn't start bringing out the food right away. The tables had been arranged so that there was an aisle right down the center of the great hall. There was a small knot of people at the front near the great doors but everyone's attention was currently focused on the top of the stairs at the back of the hall. Linda slowly descended the stairs escorted by her father and preceded by Jacob's sister, Jennifer. Karen's parents were there performing the song they had written for Catherine's wedding. Linda was wearing Catherine's wedding dress (it had originally been made for Catherine's mother and it had become an accepted axiom that no marriage that began in that dress had ever failed) and her face was beaming with joy. Her father was also smiling so wide it looked like it might split his face in two. In the small group at the front Jacob had eyes only for Linda. Beside him stood Linda's brother, Larry. When Jacob and Linda had announced their intention to marry the general response had been 'We know that, we just wondered when it would happen'.

Catherine looked lovingly over at Vincent as her fingers tightened around his hand. Then she looked at her son standing at the front of the hall facing his destiny with joy sparkling in his eyes. Finally she gazed up at Linda whom she had come to love as much as her own children. Today would be the beginning of a whole new chapter in the lives of Catherine's very unique family.

**_The End_**

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**_Author's notes:_**_ This story contains references to the following other stories – Naomi , Encounter , A New Life , Joe's Tale , A Mother's Diary ._

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


End file.
